The Blurring Lines
by GaleSynch
Summary: AU: The path to hell was paved with good intentions, I have to keep that warning in mind or I'd walk down that path myself without knowing it. [Self-Insert, Male OC]
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything you recognize.**

**:: :: ::**

**Title: **The Blurring Lines.

**Summary: **AU: The path to hell was paved with good intentions, I have to keep that warning in mind or I'd walk down that path myself without knowing it. Self-Insert / SI, OC.

**Alternate Summary (3rd person pov):** Uchiha Miyo had cheated death twice: when he was supposed to die in his mother's womb, he lived; when he was supposed to be killed in the Massacre, he lived.

**:: ::**

**:: ::**

**The Blurring Lines**

**Prologue**  
_Boy Who Lived_

:: :: ::

* * *

Amidst the gray scenery, a new sound pierced through the eerie silence. I blinked, trying to decipher the meaning of this scene. There was only one creature there, shivering and crying; a wrinkled and pathetic thing—an infant.

I tilted my head upward; there was a large hole darker than black above us. It was a gaping wound in this gray, empty and meaningless world.

In here, time was meaningless. I do not know myself, do not know this place, do not know why I wait—

"You can do it, you can do it," a chant repeated over and over, a hymn of hope and desperation. It echoed and resounded, bouncing around this endless space and then I saw it—this gray and tranquil world falling apart at its seams.

I'm scared. But nothing I say, feel or do could stop it: the darkness wrapped around me like gauze, like ceremonial robes, like death.

The gray smeared into a veil of black.

I closed my eyes and let go.

:: :: ::

Distantly, I could hear a faint thrum in the air, like a thousand murmured voices welcoming me home. The white space wrapped around me swirled around in particles of gold; spiraling around my body like dust motes, gleaming as they burst into non-existence—

The light was blinding.

And piercing through it was a voice—a ghastly voice that sent fear humming in my bones. Instinct bid me to open my eyes, to make sure of the threat and I did.

I opened my eyes, light lancing through my eyes, searing my retina and I closed them again, arm automatically—mechanically, awkwardly—rising to shield my eyes. They were stinging in pain and the bare skin of my arm could feel the wetness staining my cheeks.

"He's awake! Alert the Hokage—you, get the doctor!"

Cries, voices I don't recognize.

I peered through the gap in my fingers, seeing concerned faces peering down at me. But the light was still blinding.

I groaned lowly, eyes hurting. "Please…" I croaked, finding my voice to be raspy and husky, my throat tight and raw, as if I'd just been crying. "Please…"

"It's OK," a woman's voice soothed. "You're safe from him, he's gone; the worst is over now,"

"No… the light—off—too bright for me…" I coughed. I heard the woman—a nurse probably—made a noise as realization dawned on her, I heard the rustle of clothing and the click of the switch being turned off. Finally, I removed my arm, squinting and blinking—allowing the last of the tears lingering at the tip of my eyelashes to fall—trying to take in my new surroundings. "…how did I get here?"

I paused and frowned. There was something different about my voice. Why? Speaking of voice, my throat was dry. "Water," I croaked.

"Right," squeaked the nurse and she rushed to my side, pouring me a glass of water which she handed to me.

I took it, shooting her look of gratitude and gulped down the drink. Once the glass was empty, I heaved a sigh of relief. I glanced at her. "Thank you," I finally said.

Instead of smiling or responding, she looked uneasy—there was pity, apprehension and sorrow in her eyes. "Are you feeling alright? I'm afraid your older brother is not awake yet."

I stared at her. "I don't have an older brother," I said, stunned. And there was still something off about my voice. Was my voice this husky? I don't think so.

She winced. "I know you're… angry about what he did but… I didn't mean that murderer, I meant your other brother, Sasuke."

Sasuke? That's a Japanese name, right? Why would I have a brother with a Japanese name? I don't have an older brother, period.

"I'm sorry," I said, my voice tight. "I don't know what you're talking about. What murderer? Who died? Who killed who?"

The nurse stared at me, stunned, so shocked that her grip on her clipboard had loosened—the clipboard fell to the ground with a loud _thunk_! but she didn't bend to pick it up, just stared at me, mouth open, eyes wide. "Y-you don't remember? Nothing about three days ago?"

I frowned. Did something happen three days ago? I wracked my brain, trying to find an answer but eventually shook my head. Three days ago, I went through the same routine: go to school, go to swimming classes, go home, and repeat.

"D-Do you know who you are?"

What sort of question was that? "I'm don't get why you're asking me this—" I faltered. The door had clicked open and a man swathed in white and red robes stepped in. He was old if the wrinkles etched onto his face told a story, his eyes tragic as he gazed at me and his lips set in a thin line.

"How is he doing?"

"Sir," cried the nurse, panic in her voice. "He claims he doesn't remember anything!"

If possible, the man's face was even grimmer. He turned to me, approaching me. I didn't know why I did it but my body acted on its own, I scrambled back.

"Y-You're—no way—" I croaked. This man didn't exist. It wasn't possible.

He crouched till he was my height; his face had softened and he reached out toward me. "Miyo, do you know me?"

I shook my head. Impossible… I gasped for air. What was going on?

"He's going into shock—he's hyperventilating—doctor!"

"Hokage-sama, I must request you leave."

I screamed, trying to shake the hand caging me away, but the white-coated men swamped in; two restrained my arms, one approached, syringe in hand—sharp pain pierced my forearm and darkness swallowed me once more.

:: :: ::

I couldn't tell time; it escaped me, that elusive essence; it shivered at the tip of my eyelashes and streaked down like tears.

Drip.

(A boy, no older than thirteen, raising a sword over his head, bringing it down in a swinging arc)

Drip.

(Glancing up, a silent spectator, through the lips of this medium spilled the words: "Are you going to kill me too, Aniki?")

Drip.

(His eyes were bright red, glazed over with unshed tears, "Suffer," he said and everything spiraled into black and red of hell)

Drip.

(Blood were everywhere, on my hands, on my face, dripping down my cheek and sliding past my lips, I tasted rusty copper of blood and—repeat)

Drip.

("Seventy-two hours, fifty-nine minutes and fifty-nine seconds left…")

Drip.

My eyes snapped open, memories rushing into my being; my whole life flashing before me on replay; I screamed.

:: :: ::

"Uchiha Miyo," the old man told me, gripping my shoulders gently and peering worryingly into my eyes. "Your name is Uchiha Miyo."

I said, "Old man, are you sure?"

His face was sorrowful. "Yes, I'm sure. Do you remember anything? Anyone? Places?"

I glanced out the window. It had two days. Two days since I woke up in the hospital and was sedated almost instantly. I had taken care to not scream so hysterically now, whenever this man would visit—which was every day.

I looked down at the streets of Konoha. The name clicked in, thinking this place as Konoha was fitting—like fitting jigsaw puzzles together, a perfect fit, as if this was normal.

No… this is far from normal. Especially since this is a world where 13-year-olds could kill a whole clan consisting of two hundred or more members, half of which were highly trained fighters.

It went against all logic.

I felt like I had woken up in this world as a six-year-old… but that was impossible.

In the original story-line, the Uchiha brothers had no other siblings.

I clutched my head. The Hokage's voice was distant, as if he was speaking underwater—or I was the one submerged and he was trying to call out to me. My head hurts, I whimpered; memories of the recurring dream surfaced.

A gray world, a large gaping wound in the top of that world—an infant crying, _save me, help me, please!_

Would you not lend a hand to someone who was obviously in danger and needed your help?

Only too late I recalled the saying, that the path to hell was paved with good intentions.

:: :: ::

* * *

**oOo**

**Author's Note:** Personally, I find myself favoring this story over my other Uchiha story. Miyo's original personality isn't properly defined, it leaves so much room to do something. I know it's a little confusing here, but I'll post the next chapter in a few days and I hope that it'd clear things up.

Yes, the OC's name is Miyo. It _is_ a unisex name (I read a manga and there's a boy named Miyo). The name means beautiful generation.

**Question:** What sort of relationship do you _think_ Miyo has with his brothers? Were they close? Were they competitive rivals?

**oOo**


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything.**

**:: ::**

**:: ::**

**The Blurring Lines **

**Chapter 1  
**_Getting Comfortable_

:: :: ::

* * *

"Miyo," said the nurse, her voice kind and gentle. "Miyo, look over here." Her tone irked me; she acted as if I was an idiotic child who had no idea what she was talking about.

I know this body's six or seven but, please, give me some credit, woman.

Stubbornly, I refused to turn, just frowned down the streets of Konoha where everyone was moving about, their lives uninterrupted—unlike mine, my world didn't just turn upside down, it turned into _another_ world.

Had I really woken up here as a six-year-old?

No. I knew this answer just as I knew my name—both my names christened to me in this life and the last. The gray world I had been dreaming of was—for the lack of a better term—limbo. The memories, they weren't dreams, they were the instance I had been conscious enough to remember a few things.

And the baby I'd seen… crying for help… so weak and helpless… that infant, I'm sure of it now, had been the original owner of this body. The infant had looked as if it was a newborn, wrinkly and purple—had I somehow managed to save it when it was dying in its mother's womb?

How did I do it? I just remember reaching out to carry it, to try and soothe it and then everything had been consumed by the black hole.

Shit. I reached up to soothe the ache behind my eyes—my head always started raging against me when I tried to summon memories of the gray world.

What do I do now?

I'm so confused.

This wasn't my world. I want to go home—back to the familiar people, my family and friends. I'd even put up with my annoying younger cousin, damn it—that's just how desperate I am to see a familiar face.

"Miyo," said the woman again. "Is your head hurting? I think you should lie down." This time, when she spoke, her hand fell on my small shoulder.

I shrugged her hand away. I didn't like physical contact. Just to get her off my back, I turned, making sure that the irritation was clearly displayed. She didn't seem insulted, just smiled sadly down at me.

"Do you need anything, Miyo?"

That's not my name, I thought but I'd always perked up whenever someone said that name. This body recognized the name, the call—this was body's name and even though my mind was different now, my body remembered everything.

I wondered what had happened to the infant—to my temporary mindset, the personality that had developed while my true mind slept on. Had my brain automatically stored all these past life memories till this body would be old enough to handle the stress?

It was the most plausible explanation.

But damn, it's still so confusing.

Why am I _still_ in the hospital?

Even if I have to be in another world, I at least want to have a comfortable home. Not this damned white walls surrounding me.

"I want to go home," I said, recalling the nurse's answer.

Her smile drooped into a sorrowful look. "I'm sorry," she said. "but you're not fit to leave. We'd need to do a psychological evaluation and—and, well, don't you want to see your brother?"

I couldn't conceal my interest. "Brother?" I echoed. "Can I see him now?"

"He's not awake yet—but look, Miyo, I brought your favorite toy."

I'm too old for toys, I thought but still watched as she drew, from behind her back, a thick book and a stack of origami papers. I arched a brow in askance. "You used to love folding origami—you can fold anything." She tried for a smile. "I know you don't remember any of it anymore, that's why I took the liberty of buying you this guidebook—perhaps it can jolt your memory?"

For the first time, I had the impression that she wasn't just doing her job—that she was truly concerned. I cleared my throat, muttering my gratitude as I allowed my eyes to stray to her nameplate. "…Aiko, huh?"

She looked surprised. "Yes?"

"No… I was just pronouncing your name." I paused. "No, actually there's something I want—can you get me a mirror?" She looked confused so I decided to elaborate. "I want to know how I look like."

"Oh, of course, wait one sec." And she left, allowing me the time and peace to inspect the things she'd brought me. I flipped the book open, eyes scanning the text. It wasn't in English but my mind translated the kanji. Of course, this body had learned everything for me, didn't it?

I guess even if the mind and soul were different, the brain was the same.

My hand stilled, stopping from turning the pages. My other hand reached for the paper. Maybe… this was something I want to try out and—

About three seconds later, I was holding a paper crane up to my eyes; I turned it around, inspecting it critically. My fingers were nimble, folding every crease perfectly—I guess this body was also used to it by now. I couldn't remember the steps though; my eyes strayed to the open book—well, if I'm going to be staying in this hellhole for another week or so, I guess I might as well relearn everything.

"Miyo, I'm back—I'm so sorry it took so long!" Aiko reappeared, cheeks flushed slightly, her breath coming out quicker—I surmised that she had been running. In her hand was a mirror. I stretched out my hands eagerly for it and she didn't waste a second, placing it in my hands.

The mirror reflected a child with pale skin, black eyes, and black hair framing a delicate and feminine face— how typical of an Uchiha.

I had been trying to ignore what was staring right in my face from the beginning. I knew, ever since the nurse said the name 'Sasuke' that this was coming. But still, I had not been prepared.

I saw the black eyes in the mirror widening, I heard Aiko's concerned voice asking _are you alright_, repeatedly, but I ignored her.

"Miyo—"

"My hair," I murmured, sounding rather dazed, but I knew I had to shut her up before she blow things out of proportion. I had enough of those doctors prodding me to determine what was wrong with me. "It's so messy and long."

Aiko was so relieved she laughed.

I didn't join in the laughter—I had a sinking suspicion that it would take a long, long time before I could laugh as happily as she did.

**:: :: ::**

"Why can't I see him?" I demanded, snatching Aiko's arm, scowling up at her. "I'm OK! I just want to see Sasuke!"

Aiko shook her head. "I'm sorry, but you can't see him—meeting you will only stress him out."

"Why?" I snapped. I had been stuck in this hospital for two fucking weeks, being evaluated and forced to talk with the doctors, asking meaningless questions. I don't remember my early life as Uchiha Miyo.

But I do remember that I've always hated doctors.

"You're his brother yet you do not know him, to Sasuke-kun, it will feel as if he lost everyone—! Miyo! Come back here!"

Physically, I was OK. The only reason I was stuck in the hospital is because they believe that getting amnesia is an extremely serious case. Perhaps it is, but I'm not exactly an amnesiac. Really, I may have holes in my memory but for the first time in forever, I was certain: I was awake and alive, feeling and running.

I shot past various nurses and patients, eliciting surprised shrieks, but I didn't care, I just kept on running.

Until someone snagged my arm and hauled me back. I stumbled, nearly losing my footing but the gentle yet firm grip supported me until I managed to regain my balance. I twisted, looking up into an old, wrinkled face.

"You again," I said dispassionately. "Can you please release me?"

"And where might you be going?" The village leader inquired gently, his voice free from any displeasure.

"I want to see Sasuke."

Something flickered in his eyes. "Do you remember him?"

"No. But he's my brother, I want to see him."

Instead of chiding me, the old man took my hand in his large and callused hand; he smiled sadly down at me—like everyone was doing these days—as he straightened himself.

"All right then," he said. "let's go together."

**:: :: ::**

Something white and black barreled into me just as I stepped out from behind the old man's back. I stumbled, staggering before falling onto my back, the weight of another still on top of me.

"Oof," I mumbled, hands reaching up to grasp—with every intention to remove—the added weight. "Hey…"

"Miyo!" A broken sob and my hand stilled. I gazed, wide-eyed at the ceiling, well-aware of how many people were watching and just how cold the ground was. "Thank god, you're Ok, you're OK—" The words falling from his lips like a desperate chant, like a hymn, like prayer.

I don't know why. But tears rolled; down my cheeks, straying and falling onto the tile in small beads; down into my mouth, clinging to my lips like a kiss.

I didn't say anything, just reached up and wrapped my arms around him.

I'm oh so confused—

But I know, right now, above all, he needs the comfort.

Not the question as to why hugging him felt so awkward, as if this body had never done this before.

**:: :: ::**

It was another three days of hellish torture before we were released. And even then, there were people following us, watching us; silent spectators and protectors. Sasuke was walking ahead of me, my hand was gripped loosely in his hand as we walked down the less-crowded path.

Nevertheless, the whole world stared.

I wished so badly at that moment to be invisible.

After that breakdown when he first saw me, Sasuke no longer cried or sobbed or showed any signs of weakness; just stony silence and coldness, brewing with hate, anger, hurt, confusion and just a broken air of despair clinging onto him like a second skin.

I had never seen someone so devastated.

Knowing that I, his only remaining family left, had lost my memory had not been pleasant news at all.

And the silence was unnerving. I cleared my throat loudly to gain his attention. "I do hope you can cook. Hospital food leaves much to be desired—the food's so bland, practically tasteless."

There was a falter in his footfalls. "…I'll learn."

The wind picked up, blowing the autumn leaves to eye-level. It was starting to get chilling—I want a jacket to wrap myself up in. Maybe those ANBU guys thought it was funny but they gave Sasuke and I different clothes—yin and yang themed. My shirt was too white, I wasn't particularly fond of this color—it could be so easily stained and dirtied and then the dirt would be hard to remove.

Deciding to distract myself from paying attention to those trivial matters, I glanced around, starting to pay more attention to my surroundings. Since this would lead back home, I had better start memorizing how to get there—it'd be damned embarrassing if I have to ask others the way home.

It was quite obvious 'brother' doesn't want to talk but I need to know or I'll go crazy. I walked closer to him, voice lowered, and spoke, "Ne, what sort of person was I before this?"

He didn't answer, which only frustrated me. Before I could demand anymore, he spoke, voice cracking every now and then. "…We didn't really get along. You were, uh," I could see him struggling to find the right words to describe me without insulting me—talking to an amnesiac would be like trying to walk on minefields, I suppose. "Mean-spirited, yeah, that's it. We always argue. I don't like you and the feeling's mutual on your part." I opened my mouth, about to add in my two cents but he didn't give me room to speak. Seems like he's on a fucking roll. "I wouldn't have approached you with a ten-foot pole willingly but—"

His grip on my hand tightened. "You're still the only one I have left. Even though you don't remember it, there were times when we actually _liked_ one another."

I glanced down at our linked hands, eventually coming to fall into step beside him; I glanced up at his face—he was at least a head or so taller than me.

I squeezed his hand reassuringly; unable to put the comfort I want to give to him into words.

"Just remember that I'm here," I murmured.

**:: :: ::**

I was left to wander around the Uchiha Clan Compound. There were a few places barricaded off, I didn't know why and I doubt Sasuke knew either so I decided to explore the place.

Turns out that the places sealed off are too damaged to make out anything, scorched marks and stains that I suspected was blood. I guess the assigned people would be working on it at night, leaving the day for Sasuke and I to have our own privacy.

First things first: I need to find Miyo's room. Thinking of it as my room—when I never actually stepped through the door—was weird.

I found the master bedroom which meant that further down the hallway were sleeping quarters. One room was sealed off, the other was left slightly open. I heard rustling sounds inside so I assumed it was Sasuke—we were the only life in this desolate place.

Suppressing a shudder at the eerie silence, I proceeded to the last room. I pushed open the shoji doors, entering and closing the doors to ensure my privacy. Back to the shoji doors, I scanned the dark room with wary eyes.

There were another set of shoji doors; after a quick scan around the room, determining the place a safe area, I crossed the room and pushed the doors open. The doors opened to a garden, a cherry blossom tree (it was bare as it's not spring yet) stood at the edge, a pond right underneath it. Stone walls barricaded the compound.

I pulled the shoji doors in place—I could feel someone looking, observing my every move. I know they meant well, but it was still creepy.

And Miyo's room was also very creepy. How dark it was didn't help.

Almost every inch of the room was covered in paper. Origami—cranes, bear, dog, tortoise and all sorts of animals. It was kept in a huge pile beside the desk, spilling to the shoji doors. Littering the other side of the room and the entrance to the garden was also origami—instead of harmless decorative though, there were shurikens, kunai and paper fan.

Wasn't Miyo disgusted by this mess?

Didn't his parents scream at him for the mess he'd made?

I'd clean the place up later—someday, I'd get to it, I'm sure. I headed over to the desk. It was rather impersonal, consisting of only a picture frame. My gaze lingered on the frame—a family of five, all with pale skin and black hair and eyes. Their faces were vaguely familiar, the five people all in front of the camera—one person's face missing.

Miyo. What happened? Why did he keep a picture that he clearly dislikes so much that he tore himself off?

I'm having a serious migraine trying to figure this six-year-old brat out.

I mean, what was he anyway? Who is he truly?

A temporary, childish mindset that was created in place of my own? Or is he the original owner of this body and had been suppressing me all along? Where is that personality—whoever it was—now? I'm quite curious and I have a few questions for him.

But I have no way of contacting him. I didn't even know if he still existed. Was he a part of me now? Or am I just a part of him that he created? Who was it that came from the other world actually?

The world where this world—Naruto-verse—was nothing but fiction?

I'm positive it was me but… I can't even remember how I died. If I'd died in the other world. Then how did I end up here? Even if I were to be reincarnated with my past life's memories mostly intact, why wasn't I reborn in the same, real world?

I could be dreaming vividly—it was a wishful thought that was killed in its fleeting life the moment I pinched myself, felt pain, opened my eyes and found myself in this unfamiliar room. Perhaps I was hallucinating? Then I pray that the doctors would restrain my real body while my mind drifted off in this fictional world, functioning like a normal human when I'm not. Was I a coma patient and this was what my mind cooked up to pass time while my body readjusts to the shock it had received—in whatever accident or any accidents happened at all?

More theories came up but each grew more unlikely than before.

I massaged my forehead; unbidden, the memory of that gray limbo surfaced. Maybe I should get back there? Maybe the real Miyo was waiting there?

Do I even want to go back there?

I hadn't been fully-conscious enough to feel anything then—everything had seemed muffled, numbed, as if I was a spectator out of my body, a bodiless thing—but now that my mind was functioning properly again, I could feel the terror at the thought of returning to that empty space.

There was no life, no light, nothing. It was as if I didn't exist. Who would want to go to the place of non-existence?

No one. I was crazy for ever considering the option of returning.

If I could go back home, then it would be good, but…

For now, I thought as I shuffled through the books arranged neatly on the desk, I'd just go with the flow and see where this would take me. Who knows, this may be all a dream and I'd just… you know, wake up and return to everyday life.

I wasn't too fond of surprises but even I have to admit—the mundane, repeating lifestyle had been tiring me out, boring me out of my mind.

_Clack_.

I blinked, coming back to reality when I heard that unusual sound. I pushed the stack of books out of the way, reaching to grasp the recorder. I was surprised that such technology existed but I recalled from an episode where the gathered people had been watching the Chunin Exams proceeding with a TV—or what looked like a TV anyway.

This device seemed to operate the same way a recorder does back in my world. The design was unlike anything I've seen in my real world though. No, wait, this is too large to be a recorder. It's a Dictaphone. I pressed the play button and held it to my ears.

I've never actually used this device before even though I had seen it on display in stores. There were only static sounds, some rustling of cloth, a faint sound of impatience, and nothing else. Just as I was about to turn it off,"I love you, Miyo," drifted out of the speakers.

I stiffened. Even though I knew it wasn't directed at me—regardless of the name being spoken—I still felt something lancing through my heart (metaphorically speaking of course, if it's something real, I would've been dead meat).

I replayed it a few times until someone knocked on my door. I turned to see Sasuke staring at me, a heavy frown on his face. "I've been calling your name for about five minutes, what were you doing?"

"…Nothing," I lied. "Why? What did you want from me?"

"Dinner's ready."

Sasuke's view of dinner was screwed-up. I wrinkled my nose slightly when I saw the ramen cups but seeing as he was only eight, it was excusable that he didn't know how to cook. I have no room to complain. Without another word, we dug into our food—I broke my chopsticks apart. It didn't came as such a shock anymore, to know how to do something when I had never actually learned it.

I noticed that Sasuke was observing me closely. "What?" I asked, trying to sound nice, instead of harsh and uncomfortable.

"You know how to use chopsticks? The doctors warned me that you might not know anything—not even the basic necessities."

My eyebrow twitched. "My body remembers it—it's like how I know how to speak now, I can read too. I think I can write as well, but I'm not sure."

Sasuke slurped his noodles, making a face as he forced himself to swallow. "It's so salty it's disgusting."

"Really? I find it tasteless."

"Yeah, you and I are different." I had the feeling that he meant it in more ways than one. He picked at his noodles, noticed I was staring at him, and hurriedly devoured the rest, making gagging noises once he was done. "I hate this, I want to eat Mom's coo—" I stared; his face hardened. "I'm done eating." He stood, grabbed the empty ramen cup and tossed it into the trashcan.

"Ah, wait—" He turned, brow arched impatiently. "Un… good night."

His eyes softened a fraction. "Good night," he returned.

I don't know why, but the gap between us seems to be comparable to that of a chasm.

Uchiha Miyo, what sort of person were you, really?

**:: :: ::**

* * *

**oOo**

**Answer to Guest Reviews:**

**Retzl: **Good guess.

**Guest Sorry: **You'll find out soon enough.

* * *

**oOo**

**About Naruto world's technology; **so, from canon info, we can glean that do have modern technology. Nothing phones or computers or laptops though; but I'm sure there's TV and camera.

**About original Miyo's personality;** If you've played TOA, or read the special chapter dedicated to the original Ion, you'd know what sort of person Miyo originally was.

**The recorded voice;** three guesses as to who it was.

**:: review ::**


	3. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything.**

**:: :: **

**:: ::**

**The Blurring Lines**

**Chapter 2  
**_Not Much of A Difference_

**:: :: ::**

* * *

"_You didn't understand what the teacher was saying about potential energy and kinetic energy did you?"_

_I understood it easily—it was one of the very, very few perks that came with this fucking knowledge of the 'future'—but I knew that about 98% of the class did not, judging from their open mouths when the teacher had finished talking. The teacher was retiring, having had enough and wished to lead the rest of his life with his remaining limbs, to teach at the ordinary, civilian academy and he decided to contribute this civilian knowledge to us—as if we care that he's qualified to teach civilian subjects. The 2% consists of only me and that Nara girl—she didn't seem confused, or maybe she was just spacing out._

_(Someday, I'm going to get her for that blasé attitude, breezing through life as if it was nothing. Tch. Some people can't have that luxury, you know?)_

"_It's not important," the taller boy said shortly, scowling at me. His friends were scowling as well but did not voice their displeasure. I'd like to see them to something to the Uchiha Clan Head's son. "We don't need to know that to be shinobi."_

_I laughed derisively. "Shinobi? You? You think _you_ can make it—good one, I haven't laughed so much in a while! Not since I heard what that eyebrows freak had to say. Haha… back to the point, you need it to be an intelligent person."_

_Keisuke's face was red with anger now. I smirked. "Just fuck off, Uchiha, we know you're a prodigy, don't need to rub it in."_

"_As a prodigy, I feel obligated to teach you," I said, not budging even though Keisuke had sprang to his feet now, and he towered over me. I smiled, holding my hand up, clenching my fingers into a fist. "My fist is now filled with potential energy as I'm not doing anything with it. I shall now demonstrate kinetic energy by unleashing it all over your face."_

_The bones structuring his nose cracked, blood oozing. I smiled. "I warned you. Be careful, next time, ne, Keisuke-kun. Walking into other people's fists is not a good sign of a shinobi."_

**:: :: ::**

This last week, I had learned one thing: Uchiha Miyo was one little asshole. No, it's at a critical level since he's only, what, six? Yeah, six years old.

How can anyone be so cruel? I can remember taking stuff from my classmates without permission at that age, locking them in the bathroom, rip their books, etc. but not this extreme—starting a fight, punching others without provocation and anything this violent.

How on earth did Miyo survive the Massacre? As much of a prodigy he might be, he can't possibly best his oldest brother. And Itachi can't possibly love that little devil—not someone like Miyo, no way.

Maybe Miyo had been protected or he was absent during the event? Then why the heck did the doctors have a plausible reason to believe whatever had happened could cause amnesia?

No, Miyo had definitely confronted Itachi. That much I can recall. I don't remember the conversation though. In fact, I don't recall up to ten major events that Uchiha Miyo had experience. In a way, I _was_ amnesiac.

I flopped onto my back on the bed, staring at the ceiling, tracing patterns across. I wanted to go out but it was getting colder and I was too lazy to dig out my winter coat and stuff that Miyo hadn't taken the time to organize—he was probably too busy terrorizing kids and picking fights with Sasuke.

What else did that little bastard do in his spare time other than antagonizing others?

How was he acknowledged as a genius?

Whose voice was it that's recorded into the Dictaphone?

I pushed myself off the bed, walking to the table, picking up the device and pressing the play button. I don't know why, but this body relaxed at the mere sound of the voice. Must be someone Miyo's totally comfortable with. The poor quality made it hard to tell whether it was a man's voice or a woman's.

Mother, maybe? Two women's face flashed to mine—Uchiha Mikoto and my own mother. Scowling, I placed the device back onto the table. I didn't like it—I felt as if I was being swamped, invaded and taken over.

Uh, wait. I think that's supposed to be Miyo's line. Technically, I invaded his home-turf and is now living in his body. But he might also be in my original body, ruining my reputation—which I cared a lot about, thank you very much. Before I could formulate more hypothesizes about how I got here, my stomach growled. I started toward the door—and stopped.

I saw something I had not noticed previously—gouges in the lilac-colored walls. I approached the wall, tracing the gouges. Looks as if something sharp had been embedded there. I wonder what made that?

Before I was conscious of it, my body had turned and my eyes were fixated on the pile of paper shurikens. I was holding one, caressing the sharp edge before I was aware of it. That was disturbing, spacing out and finding yourself in a different position than where you originally were but I ignored the oddity in favor of this… exhilarating feeling.

Something hummed in my veins.

I concentrated on it, I could almost envision it—the blue stream of life that flowed throughout this body. I grasped it, directed it—

I hissed in pain as I was cut, my concentration breaking and the flow of life-force receded into my body, some dispersing into the atmosphere but that's OK, my heart just pumped more.

I had cut myself. I licked the wounded spot, cleaning it—I was starting to have an idea about my chakra nature. This time, I have to keep my eyes open as I picked up the paper shuriken again.

I concentrated, not blinking, as I directed the chakra—that's what it's called, I think—to my fingers where I was holding the shuriken. I threw it and—as I'd expected—it embedded deep within the wall. It was permanently stuck, I thought as I struggled to pull it out of the wall before giving up after five seconds.

There were a lot more paper shurikens for me to throw and practice with. I better go scout for a target point so that I can practice.

I have a reputation as a prodigy—supposedly, what did Miyo do to get that title other than to show his superiority to his classmates?—to uphold.

But for now, I was hungry and I wanted dinner—no matter how bad Sasuke's cooking may be. At least it was something. I entered an empty dining room, I poked my head into the kitchen and was surprised to not see Sasuke.

I had gotten so used to seeing him there, struggling to prepare dinner for the both of us and the effort he gave made my heart throb (in sympathy, in guilt that I couldn't be of more help or because I couldn't give him the comfort he needed—no thanks to Miyo that it was awkward between us).

I saw the paper instantly, pinned to the fridge, carrying the message: _Out training, be back late. –Sasuke_.

Maybe I could prepare dinner tonight?

I ambled over to the fridge, opening it. It was empty. Except for a cabbage—I didn't like vegetables, I made a face at it before closing the fridge, deciding to rummage around the cabinets but I only found cooking utensils.

Man, we needed to go shopping.

Just as I thought of it, I knew it would be impossible to coax Sasuke into doing it—people would still be talking and staring. I glanced out the window, seeing the snow-covered ground and the snowflakes flaking the glass.

I grabbed the note, scribbled my own message (_'Went grocery shopping, be back soon, if you're wondering.' –Miyo_) and left to start digging through the wardrobe for winter-wear clothing (wardrobe doesn't have the 'war' in front of it for nothing, seriously, I need to start organizing the room).

Miyo, I learned, must really love light colors because there was nothing black in his wardrobe. The closest garb to black would be grey—which was almost silver-colored. I pulled on a silver jacket that had fur-linings (it tickled slightly but nothing I couldn't get used to), winter boots and gloves before leaving.

I made sure to grab the fat wallet full of money first though. Even though I'm in a different world, I'm sure the worlds operated the same way: by money.

Without anyone to shovel the snow out, it was hard to make my way through the empty Uchiha district but I managed. It came up to my shins—but it was just because of my height problem.

I hope I'll have a growth spurt soon.

I mean, this was a boy's body, right? I'm sure I will be tall too. I'd just hit puberty later than I did in my last life. I wasn't looking forward to puberty though, it had been hard enough as a girl, how would boys' puberty be like? Must be monstrous.

(Sometimes, I wonder why we must grow up, I like being a kid, though not a kid of this height, eleven sounds like a good age)

Ah, thinking about it won't help anyone; I'd cross the bridge when it comes to that.

For now, I must puzzle out which was it was to the supermarket.

This body must have sensed my desperation or my mind was starting to correspond with the body because my instincts led me right where I wanted. Few people stared but that's because I was a kid, alone and it was too cold for anyone to be out.

I ignored the looks, pulled my coat tighter around my body and forged on ahead. Seeing as I was trembling and flushed with cold, and a kid to top it all off, the grocery clerks were quick to get me what I wanted.

The girl manning the cash-registry was peering at me curiously. "Little girl," I winced, but didn't correct her. Technically, I could be considered a girl. "why are you doing this all alone? Where are your… parents? Siblings? Guardians?"

Trying to sound like an innocent kid, I said, "Un… they're dead—people said that they were massacred by a crazy man. I only have one brother left but he's busy… um, so, how much is this?" I asked, trying to change the topic but from the look of dawning horror on the worker's face, she was starting to gain inkling as to who I was.

"Uh, boss." I looked up to see the girl's eyes darting from me to what I'd bought. "Yeah, you can have this for free! I mean, after all that your clan had done for the village, it is only suitable and all…"

"Misaka, enough," hissed one of her co-workers.

"Thanks," I said, waving their offers to walk me home and take my stuff. I can manage just fine.

And I found that I actually could, it's the distance ruining things for me. And, uh, the Uchiha district was this way, isn't it? Or is it that way? No, no, I definitely came from that way.

"Oi, Uchiha!"

I yelped when someone barreled into me. I was barely able to keep my grip on my grocery. Despite my best efforts, the red apples were rolling in the snow. Crap. It'd be infected with bacteria or something.

I glared at the offender. "Watch it, dipshit—_you_?"

Had I not had that dream (or flashback), I would not have known that this was Keisuke. His nose was crooked—I think it's going to be permanent—and it was definitely my fault. Or Miyo's fault. Whatever, from Keisuke's perspective, the blame falls on me.

I recognized his posture: it was screaming for revenge and violence. He cracked his knuckles, sneering. "I think it's payback time. If you don't remember anything, then that means you don't know how to fight right?"

And he swung his fist.

Instincts kicking in, I sidestepped the punch. But I couldn't hide my shock at the sudden turn of events. He snarled, overbalanced before scrambling for his footing again. I grabbed my gloves and removed it as quickly as possible.

The layer of cloth would lessen the force behind the blow—fighting with bare knuckles or gauntlets were better, but I have to make do with what I have now. This time, when he lunged again, I ducked, grabbed his forearm and pulled him toward me and—in a repetition of when I had explained to him potential and kinetic energy—punched him in his face.

His nose broke under my knuckles again.

Perhaps it was Miyo's sadism and cruelty ingrained deep into this body that made me do it: I kicked him back, sending him skidding away and advanced even though a part of me screamed to run away.

"Keisuke!"

I turned, stepping and crunching one of the fallen apples I'd brought, were his rag-tag group of friends, consisting about seven or eight of them. They saw me, the blood oozing from their friends' nose and everything clicked into place.

I braced myself and stood my ground.

But still, why… are your gazes so full of hate?

**:: :: ::**

"Miyo!"

I recognized the call and the voice but I chose not to respond immediately. Instead, I plucked the last of the salvageable apples off the snowy ground, shaking the snow off it before turning.

"Sasuke!" I greeted, grinning at the sight of him. He was also decked in winter wear—a woolen sweater and a scarf, but he looked as if he'd haphazardly pulled it over himself before he went out. "You got my note! I thought you wouldn't have seen it."

Sasuke was panting slightly, his cheeks tinted pink by the cold. My face must've been redder than his; his brows furrowed in concern as he eyed me and my surroundings. "I thought something happened," he gasped, once he managed to catch his breath. He held up the winter coat I'd abandoned in favor of protecting my groceries from the fight and to avoid getting snow on my food supply. "Aren't you cold?"

"Now that you mentioned it, yes."

Sasuke scowled darkly at me. "Arms up," he snapped. I did as told, holding my arms up and I maneuvered them to make it easier for Sasuke as he slipped the coat onto my body, helping me zip it to the top. "What happened?"

"I got into a fight."

"You won," said Sasuke, more of a fact than a question.

I grinned, unable to suppress the surge of pride. "Yep," I said happily. "Crushed them like bugs, I don't think they're fit to be ninja anymore." I didn't know if a wrist twisted that cleanly would ever be functional again. Oh well, I wasn't on the wrong side of the law. They started it and I didn't know the strength of this body.

"Where are they?" Sasuke looked like he wanted to give them a serious beating and my heart warmed despite how cold I was.

"Oh, I buried them under the snow. Why?"

Sasuke was staring at me, he didn't look appalled or shocked though. "You were smiling so brightly at me I forgot who I was talking to for a moment. So much for amnesia," he mumbled under his breath turning back to the grocery bags. He picked up all of it—tried to anyway, I insisted on carrying the bags that consisted of vegetables and fruits.

"Where're your gloves?" Sasuke asked.

"Oh, in the snow. Shall we dig for it?" I was curious, tempted to try and see if chakra could transform into a shovel or trowel.

Sasuke sighed. "Don't be silly," he said, nearly tripping on Keisuke's foot. He didn't see the body, just the top of his boot sticking out. "He's completely buried," he remarked flatly then he whirled around, looking at my red fingers. "You didn't," he scowled.

"What?"

"Don't tell me you did something as stupid as burying them with your own hands."

"Oh, can you read minds?" I had been relishing my victory and adrenalin was pumping through my veins so I had not noticed how cold and numb my fingers had gotten.

Sasuke scowled heavily, placed his load onto the ground before he removed the glove on his right hand, handing it to me. "Put it on," he ordered and I did, grateful for the warmth the thick fabric provided. He shifted the groceries into his still-gloved hand before extending his bare hand to me. I stared at it and he grunted impatiently. "Come on, take it. We can keep one another warm this way."

I smiled. "Thank you." Silence between us as we trudged back to the district, Sasuke leading. I squeezed his hand tighter for warmth, shuffling closer. "Ano, Sasuke?"

"Hm?"

"Can I call you Onii-chan?"

Don't ask me why I felt compelled to ask that, I can't answer that question myself.

Sasuke looked put out. "Geez, just call me that if you want to. It's weird because you never used to be so shy, Miyo. And you never respected me as an older brother before, you actually called me… no, forget what I just said. Call me whatever you want—no, ugh, Nii-chan will do fine."

"OK," I said cheerily though I wondered what he meant by that.

What did Miyo used to call him, I wonder.

**:: :: ::**

* * *

**A.N: **Some chapters will start with dreams/flashbacks of the original Miyo. The first part of the chap in itallics is the original Miyo's doing. Hope no one will be confused and ask why the SI is so cruel.

**Answer to Guest Reviews:**

**Sanity: **Oh well, I guess. Thanks for the review!

**Guest: **Thanks for the review!

**Retzl:** Well, you'd find out... in a dozen or so more chapters?

* * *

**oOo**

**Q:** Is anyone disturbed by Miyo's real attitude? What do you make of it?


	4. Chapter 4

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything.**

**:: ::**

**:: ::**

**The Blurring Lines**

**Chapter 3**  
_A Bad Influence_

**:: :: ::**

* * *

"_Sasuke, don't be so mean to Miyo-chan, he just wants to play with you." I laughed lightly when I saw his disgruntled expression at being admonished by Mother, clapping my small, chubby hands together. _

"_But he's annoying, Mom," whined Sasuke. "He follows me everywhere."_

"_Like you followed me when you were a baby," interjected a new voice from out of my line of sight. I ignored it, Tachi's not as interesting as Sasuke. I like Sasuke much better—his hair gets fluffier when he's mad, I giggled. "Loosen up, Sasuke, Miyo loves you best. Your name was his first word."_

_Sasuke spluttered. "No, 's not and 'e doesn't love me best as you guys say—'e barfs on me and wants whatever _I_ want!"_

"_Don't be silly, Sasuke," admonished Mother gently. "Miyo is two, what can he do?"_

"_He calls me—"_

**:: :: ::**

"…Sauce-cakes, I love you best… of all…"

My eyes were open, the dream had ended before the four-year-old Sasuke in my dreams could finish whatever he was saying but I heard the rest of his sentence clearly. Obviously, the words had been contributed by Miyo's memory locked in this body.

I stifled my laughter. "Sauce-cakes?" I echoed, sniggering, raising a hand to cover my mouth. I sighed softly, smile dying. "Miyo really loved Sasuke…" I concluded. Then why did he argue and pick fights with Sasuke?

I can't possibly ask Sasuke, he wouldn't know. Miyo's psychotic mind works differently from ours.

I got off the bed, stretching myself lazily as I made my way to the table, placing the Dictaphone I'd fallen asleep listening to on the wooden surface. The voice proclaiming love soothed me, almost like a lullaby. And it was very useful in this wintry weather, it warmed me every time I heard that phrase.

Winter vacation would be over soon, I mused quietly as I glanced at the calendar. Soon, Sasuke and I will have to face the world—the Academy where our classmates would be. Hopefully, Keisuke would be there as a punching bag too.

I couldn't deny it—having power over someone was fun. It was so addictive that I understood why Miyo had been so cruel and violent towards his classmates. I wonder if Keisuke was the only one who got the special treatment or everyone had been beaten by Miyo at least once in their lifetimes? I wonder, then, how they'd react to my current situation.

Will they sympathize? Or will they try to get their revenge?

Whichever it was, I knew I had to get stronger. I won against Keisuke and his gang not because I was strong—but because they were weak. I can't let that victory get to my head, I have to train as hard as Sasuke did.

I cracked my knuckles. I think it's time for shuriken practice. I was starting to get used to the notion of throwing those things even though they seem useful only as distraction. Skilled ninja won't be impaled by shurikens so training my aim in the long-run doesn't seem productive.

Nevertheless, I set out, marker in hand to mark the tree bark that stood in the garden. I didn't know where Miyo kept his stash of metal shuriken or wooden mock-ups so I had to make due with the paper shurikens that I had learned how to fold.

I better watch the amount of chakra I apply to the shuriken or I'd end up cutting myself again—rather embarrassing to be injured by your own chakra and weapon, isn't it? The paper shurikens were soundless as they dug into the tree bark as I hit bull's eye. I smirked in satisfaction, my aim was OK but neglecting training it just because I was doing decently well would be foolhardy.

I wonder if there's anything else I can apply my wind nature to. Subconsciously, I pulled out the paper fan Miyo had folded before the Massacre. It had been placed in the pile of paper weapons so that meant this wasn't a toy or decoration.

I suppose I could try and channel chakra into the fan to see if I can made waves of wind—or blades of wind.

As I had no chakra in my past life, I was hyper-aware of its existence now, which made it so much easier to draw on the chakra and direct it into the fingertips, melding into the paper.

I could almost see the paper stiffening into steel and I cut a lazy arc in the air. I yelped in shock when deep gouges opened in the ground. That was dangerous. I hadn't even seen anything leave the fan, I just swished it.

I better be careful, I thought, frowning.

"Miyo!" Sasuke poked his head into my room without knocking. My knee-jerk reaction was to throw the shuriken but I managed to suppress the instinct and just stared at my brother—who, had he entered a second earlier, would've been killed.

"Yeah?"

"Do you wanna spar?"

"Sure," I said, eager to see how well I'd fare against a talented opponent. Being smaller meant that I'd be physically weaker but I wonder if I'd be faster.

I let my body guide me into a familiar stance. Well, I never learned it but it felt familiar—as if I had done this a dozen times before.

Sasuke was quick and had I been in my old body, I would've been pummeled into the ground. But this body can keep up. I have a feeling that I can move even faster but I didn't want to bruise Sasuke's ego and make our tentative relationship worse. Besides, I needed to get used to this body—the strength, the stamina and the speed.

"Miyo."

"Un?"

"Don't hold back. Hit with everything you've got."

I frowned. He knew? Either he was more observant than he thought or Miyo had kicked his ass before. I kicked off the ground, lunging at Sasuke. Compared to Sasuke, my physical strength wasn't much but I was definitely quicker than him and could land more blows—when it came to endurance, we were both on even ground. I didn't think Miyo had too much of an advantage over Sasuke; he was stronger, Miyo was faster—the spar ended in a tie.

"We still have a long way to go before being good," Sasuke commented. I nodded listlessly, tearing grass. Sasuke frowned at me. "Miyo, have you packed your school books yet?" I furrowed my brows; so the parcel Sasuke dropped in front of my door this morning contained my books?

"Huh?"

"School. _Tomorrow_. Did you forget?"

**:: :: ::**

Uchiha Miyo was not a popular kid. I was sure the form teacher had told them about my circumstances but they didn't sympathize—some of them cast me dubious looks, I even heard a girl whisper that _he's just faking it_ and the other half of class sneered at me, cowered at the sight of me or ignored me altogether.

Do I have any friends? From what little I know about Miyo, the young Uchiha didn't seem like the type to make friends.

I tuned the teacher out as she started talking about Konoha's Great History. Which was stupid. Why do we need to learn this? It's not going to help us on the battlefield. I contemplated my chances of skipping—was there a sick bay here? I could slack off there. Sleeping would be so much more productive than this—

"—yo!" I blinked. "Uchiha Miyo!"

The teacher had come to stand before me—I think her name's something like Suzune. Disinterested, I glanced up at her. Her cheeks were tinted with anger, her lips pressed into a thin line. "What?"

I saw one of my classmates muttering _'I told you he's faking it'_ which meant that this attitude was normal for Uchiha Miyo—complete and utter disrespect to his teachers, I mean. I bet he thought they were inferior to him.

"I asked you a question." My teacher grounded out. Her brows were knitted. "Miyo-chan, I'm trying to be sensitive about your family situation but spacing out, rejecting the world will not make it any better. Your brother Sasuke seems to be doing very well, so why can't you?"

"Look, just ask your question."

It was to her credit that she managed to keep her temper in check with the amount of scorn I had cast her way. "I asked," this she spoke through gritted teeth, "what is Senju Tsunade-sama's greatest contribution to kunoichi? If you do not know, let me refresh your memory, she is…"

And she went on, blah, blah, blah and finishing with a, "Well, Miyo?"

She's crazy. How can she ask an amnesiac something? I looked into her eyes, suspected that like the rest of the class, she thought that I, too, was faking my amnesia.

I scowled.

**:: :: ::**

"I asked him a question, and I'd never forget his answer for the rest of my life! Never! Never had a student speak to me in such a way! I know the both of you are going through tough times but that is no reason to be rude! He said, and I quote, _my bleeding ass_. Miyo, such language is unspeakable—!"

"Tch," I grumbled, crossing my arms over my chest, shooting her disdainful look. Man, she really reminds me of my old schoolteacher. Wherever you go, whichever world you're in, there's always this sort of teacher, huh? Just my luck.

Sasuke, being my only older relative left and was very much responsible for me, had been called in by the teacher. I could see the other teachers staring at us, but not one of them tried to interfere.

"Nii-chan, tell her to shut her trap."

"Shut up," said Sasuke obligingly, probably because he wanted her to shut up as much as I did.

Suzune's face flamed. "UCHIHA SASUKE! UCHIHA MIYO! THAT IS NO WAY—"

"Suzune-san." A hand fell on the witch's shoulder and she fell silent, she turned her scorching gaze toward the scarred man that I identified as Iruka. I edged behind my brother, fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt. "Why don't you allow me to deal with this?"

She was so furious with us she couldn't bear to be in our presence any second longer—she stormed out of the staff room, grumbling things about her students that she really shouldn't say.

"All right, Sasuke-kun, why don't you—"

"I'm staying—" Sasuke started.

"—with my brother, I want to be in the same class as he is." Sasuke and Iruka stared at me, surprised. I squeezed Sasuke's hand tightly. "I can't bear to be separated from him." No, actually, I just wanted to play a more active role. And staying in the Academy would be a bore.

Not that dying was very exciting either but still...

Sasuke's expression told me he knew I was lying. No way. I kept my face blank, really, I did.

Iruka was sighing. "I'm afraid I don't have the authority to authorize such. This needs to be discussed with the higher-ups." He looked weary. "Why don't you two go home first?"

Sasuke and I didn't protest; in silence, we shouldered our bags and made our way home.

I wished things would be as clear as the bright blue sky. A weather that was definitely insulting us. I feel as if the world's happy that the Uchiha clan are gone.

Subconsciously, I stepped closer to Sasuke.

**:: :: ::**

**Asuma - 1.1**

_"You're the only Wind-user in Konoha that I can trust to guide the young Uchiha properly."_

Those words were spoken by his father to him, and in Asuma's opinion, it was his death-sentence. What the heck, old man? You dare to condemn your own son? Asuma never liked teaching, he preferred spending his time flirting with Kurenai and if he had brats (regardless of how many kids) to take care of, it would be hard.

He knew it was for Miyo's own good though. A prodigious Uchiha, amnesiac at that; he was the perfect clay for Danzo to mold into a cold-hearted, emotionless weapon designated to be a tool only. His father wouldn't allow that.

_"Teach him everything a good human being should have, what a good shinobi stands for."_

With a sigh, Asuma put out his cigarette by dropping it to the floor and stepping on it.

He glanced up at the main Uchiha household. He can't let the older Uchiha brother see him, Asuma knew all too well of how jealousy toward your sibling could ruin one's brotherhood.

He suppressed his chakra even though there was no need to—but it was instinct, years on the battlefield had taught him to suppress his chakra whenever he wanted to sneak into unfamiliar territory. Not that there will be anything remotely dangerous about two kids.

_Yeah, you didn't think Itachi was harmful either, see what became of him?_

Sometimes, Asuma really, really hated the voice in his head.

He skirted around the household, wondering how he was going to find Uchiha Miyo without getting detected. Luck was on his side that fine Saturday morning (which really should be spent with Kurenai or his friends), he found Miyo easily.

He jumped on the roof, peering down at the boy. If Asuma hadn't read the files, he would've thought Uchiha Miyo was a girl with that long choppy black hair, pale skin and feminine features. With a pang, Asuma realized that he won't be able to complain to his Uchiha buddies how jealous he was of their looks, wouldn't be able to tease them about their girlish looks and laugh with them about it.

He missed them. They were good conversationalists compared to Kakashi (too indifferent) or Gai (too obnoxious) or Hayate (too much coughing).

The ANBU bodyguards assigned to the remaining Uchiha kids were right; Miyo was messing with chakra. Asuma eyed the gouge in the ground, the cut was too clean and only wind-natured technique could do it.

Asuma observed how Uchiha Miyo kept throwing the gouge looks, at every intervals; he was throwing without looking at his target but he nailed it anyway. He saw the boy's hand twitched toward the paper fan lying by his side.

Asuma jumped down when the boy picked it up, raised it and was about to do something stupid.

It was to Miyo's credit that he didn't scream; he just stared, eyes wider than usual, at Asuma. "Konoha-nin," he said, as if to calm himself, to reassure himself that Asuma was not the enemy. "What do you want?"

His dad was right; the Uchiha kids were loopy in the head. The oldest Uchiha brother had gone genocidal, the middle brother was hellbent on revenge and the youngest brother was, uh, amnesiac. Except that there's awareness in Miyo's eyes; again, Asuma wondered if Miyo really was faking it to get something out of this.

If so, what?

This was Asuma's job as well.

"I'm Sarutobi Asuma," he said, even though Miyo didn't ask who he was. "And I'm to be your mentor from today onward."

**:: :: ::**

* * *

**Answer to Guest Reviews:**

**Guest: **The SI has no memories of them, no real attachments, so he doesn't really care. Oh yeah, this story's Miyo will be the opposite of Tomoe in my other Uchiha SI story. So gear up for some cruelty and heartlessness.

**Kisa:** He is. Miyo is inspired by the original Ion of TOA.

**xxx**

**Review, fav and follow!**

**.**

**.**


	5. Chapter 5

**************Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto**

* * *

**The Blurring Lines**

**Chapter 4**

* * *

I said something real intelligent, like, "Uh, sure," to that revelation. My tone was flat, sarcastic even, and didn't convey the confusion and surprise I was feeling. Dimly, I wondered if this was a joke.

He sighed. "Look, kid, I don't want to do this but..." he trailed off, sighing. He crouched to my level, his eyes wary and assessing. "...wind-nature is the most dangerous chakra nature out of all and you shouldn't be messing with it."

Nonplussed, I asked, "Is that all? You're here to just warn me about that? Then thank you, I'm well aware of that fact now. Can you please show yourself out of my house, now?"

His eyebrow twitched in annoyance. "You cheeky little... no, calm down, Asuma," he mumbled to himself. Louder, he said, "Didn't you hear me earlier? I was assigned to mentor you."

"Who's teaching Sasuke then?" I asked.

Asuma shifted in discomfort. "Er, someone will be teaching him... someday... You're a special case. I'm sure you need all the help you can get, with your amnesia and you know absolutely nothing..."

Translation: we're trying to prevent you from being brainwashed.

I frowned. "I know things," I said. "I'm not an idiot."

Asuma sighed. "I didn't say that." Uninvited, he plopped down beside me, picking up a paper shuriken. "You can imbue your chakra into this paper already? No wonder you're called a genius."

"Nii-chan is better than me," I admitted, feeling something—envy—settling on my chest, a heavy weight. "As much as I hate to admit it," I grumbled.

"The ANBU observing the both of you says otherwise," said Asuma coolly, examining the paper shuriken before throwing it, almost lazily. It dug deep into the tree trunk. "You are almost a match for your brother in taijutsu, if not physically weaker and your chakra manipulation is good, way better than children your age."

"How do I enlarge my chakra reserves?" I asked.

"Through constant training. Chakra is the resulting form of energy when two other forms of energy are mixed together. The two energies are referred to as _"physical energy"_ and _"spiritual energy"._ Physical energy is collected from the body's cells and can be increased through training, stimulants, and exercise. Spiritual energy is derived from the mind's consciousness and can be increased through studying, meditation, and experience." Asuma looked at me to make sure I was listening before continuing,

"Having these two energies become more powerful will in-turn make the created chakra more powerful. Therefore, practicing a technique repeatedly will build-up experience, building up one's spiritual energy, and thus allowing more chakra to be created. As a result, the ninja is able to do that same technique with more power. This same cycle applies for physical energy except the ninja needs to increase their endurance instead."

"I see," I said after a moment's of silence. "What do we do first?"

I looked into his eyes, noticing how his eyes flickered uncertainly. I'm certain I'm his first student and he didn't know what to do.

"Well, is there anything you don't know about being a ninja? What do you know about chakra? Jutsu?"

It was a complete bore but I recited to Asuma what Miyo had already learned. He knew most of the textbooks by heart and it made me wonder how long he had stayed up late at night to memorize it to beat his older brothers. I had sunken eyes and I knew he had worked hard to be considered a prodigy.

"Here," Asuma said after about an hour's of quizzing. I glanced quizzically at the leaf. "Place it on your forehead and see how long it can stay there."

I did it without complaint.

"Well, that's it for today."

"...Just that?"

He glanced away awkwardly. "Er, well, you see... I've got to prepare."

My lips twitched into a smile. "Goodbye, Sensei."

**:: :: ::**

I didn't tell Sasuke.

And, okay, even under the after-affects of Miyo's personality (which could be summed up with one word, asshole and since assholes were selfish, rude and mean, I was entitled to not share), I felt guilty—an emotion that was entirely mine because I didn't believe Miyo to be capable of such human feelings.

There was one time he asked where I had been, rather suspiciously, I might add and I nearly let slip the weekly meetings with Asuma.

As I had a hard time holding my tongue, especially under Sasuke's hard gaze, where his coal-black eyes were still shrouded with the events of the Massacre, I had started avoiding him.

It wasn't hard. Sasuke was off training on his own and I would, too. He rarely invited me along with him and it was only on days he looked particularly sad that I insisted on tagging along to make sure he wouldn't do something stupid.

I had Asuma run me through the basic taijutsu taught in the Academy. This body could remember it vaguely but I would still be uncertain and sloppy. Fortunately, I grasped it quickly. I have to admit, however, that how easily I learned was not entirely me. It was Miyo's brain processing and sending the proper messages to the body.

During dodging practice, where Asuma would throw paper shurikens, I could react faster than I originally thought.

I was so surprised Asuma asked me what was wrong. Nonplussed, I waved the question off. He looked unsatisfied but at least it lent credibility to my amnesiac state. I didn't know how amnesiacs act and I have no wish to act as one; it was stifling and ridiculous. My inability to navigate properly in the village was probably proof of that.

And speaking of the Academy, I had been searching for multiple reasons to skip.

I had also learned, in the following months, that I absolutely despise Suzune-sensei. Yes, that's her name. It wasn't because of her attitude towards me (that's entirely my fault, I admit), but it was her personality that I have a problem with. She reminded me too much of my old teacher in my old life.

I have to admit it: I miss them. Those boring teachers who could turn something interesting into a lullaby (when they drone on and on about World War II or something along the lines, that's your cue to head off to dreamland), the students who shove one another in the hallways (I might have or have not been the pusher), the friends I hung out with.

I wondered if they were sad. I wondered if Miyo was treating them okay, if we had switched places completely. Go ahead, call me crazy, but I felt relieved when I thought that Miyo would be replacing me. He didn't act like a normal, childish and idiotic six-year-old (like some I could name), he could kick ass and look after himself. Cool, gotta admire that brat. As a real six-year-old, I was only capable of getting myself lost and hurt.

Anyway, Suzune was like Mrs Collins (dimensional counterpart), she'd preach to me about moral behavior and I'd smile that wry, belittling smile I always reserved for her. On a certain level, I thought fondly of her and definitely got misty-eyed when I graduated.

(I miss all of them)

I glared angrily at Suzune, not bothering about how irrational I was being.

She glared right back.

However, she was the least of my problems. A lot of kids who hated Miyo and had heard of his condition had came after me for a good old chat, old friends and good memories and all.

Once, they caught me with Sasuke and tried to exact revenge. Sasuke and I wiped the floor with their ass but they didn't give up. What amaze me, however, is that the kids who came after me _weren't_ the same people. I was starting to wonder how many kids Konoha have and how bored-slash-hateful Miyo must be to draw on their ire. Where did he get the time to piss so many people off? And the adults in the streets always waved and smiled at me, as if they liked me, which baffled me. How did Miyo's psychotic behavior went unnoticed?

One fine afternoon where I had just been told off by Suzune for missing classes so often, I learned I was one of Konoha's most-hated person when Eyebrows challenged me.

No his name wasn't Eyebrows.

Rock Lee was his proper name. But Miyo lovingly nicknamed him Eyesore and it stuck. Whenever I look at him, I could only think Eyesore, Eyebrows, Eyesore.

I didn't know him, I just knew of him. Vaguely, from Miyo's memories and more clearly from the anime and manga I read-slash-watch. Didn't Miyo say something about putting down that Eyebrows freak?

If there was something Miyo hated more than (uh) everything, it was people doing the futile thing. It's... odd, to be able to describe why he hated people who tried against the odds stacked against them. He envied them because there was a sliver of a chance that they'd succeed but his future was set in stone, to fade into non-existence.

He was wrong. Not entirely into non-existence.

I could feel Miyo's bubbling anger, annoyance and hatred in my heart as I stared at Rock Lee. He was just like the anime depicted him, thick eyebrows, dark eyes and hair. I tried to squash down the negative emotions, however, because they were irrational and I was a mature adult (even though my physical size said otherwise).

Miyo was still here. This was _his_ feelings, his disdain and the mad urge to laugh derisively when determination_ I_ admired burned in Eyeso—_Lee_'s eyes...

"Get out of my way," I said, clenching my fists to stop myself from pounding his face into the ground. "Don't make me do something I'd regret."

"I challenge you, Uchiha Miyo!"

We were in the middle of the courtyard, students of various ages were converging and whispering among themselves. I only caught snippets of their conversations.

"—Miyo'd win—"

"—for the hundredth-and-thirty-third time—"

"—someone, get the nurse!"

"It's going to be a blood-bath!"

"Lee! Go for it!" A girl screamed, the boy's only supporter.

So this was normal occurrence and no one was going to stop us anytime soon.

I didn't have time to shout at them to 'fuck off' because that was when Lee charged at me. I side-stepped easily but he was faster than Keisuke and I was barely able to duck. If he was looking for trouble... I sneered, I wasn't going to back down. Miyo and my pride wouldn't let me do it.

This Lee had yet to be trained by Gai. Unlike with Sasuke where I pulled my punches, I didn't. With all my strength, I punched, seized up, and constricted.

(I gasped)

Lee definitely had the potential even though he was now just the watered-down and weaker-version of his Genin-self; he deflected most of my blows and the other half of my blows grazed him. I launched myself in air and dropkick him. "Give up," I told him, feeling Miyo's irritation boiling like hot water.

I don't know how much longer I can hold on. Not that I'm weakening... if anything, I felt I could punch harder and more brutally... and the scariest part? I wouldn't have stopped until he was dead.

There was a blossoming bruise on his right eye but Lee glared at me defiantly. "I'd prove to you, Uchiha Miyo, I definitely am not... weak..." he was breathing harshly. I was only slightly winded but that might be the adrenaline (and fury).

I raised my hand, palm flat—moving out of reflex—and wind roared in my ears.

"Miyo! Stop it!"

Someone seized my wrist before I could chop Lee into oblivion. Angry red colored my vision before I shoved Miyo's influence away, made easier at the sight of someone who didn't irk Miyo as much. "Iruka," I said, wrenching my hand out of his grip.

His dark eyes were smoldering with anger and wariness. "Go to the staff room, stay there. Kiba, Hinata, get Lee to the infirmary. Shino, please get Sasuke to the staff room as well."

After making sure Lee was alright, Iruka marched me to the staff room, a firm grip on my shoulder. We only needed to wait for barely a minute when Sasuke came barreling into the room.

"What happened?" he demanded, wild-eyed and his eyes flared even brighter when he saw the red on my right cheek.

"Let's get down to business," said Iruka, voice cold; he didn't seem to care that almost all of the teachers were trying to eavesdrop on our conversation. "Miyo, you've gone too far."

I touched my stinging cheek where one of Lee's hits had connected. "I was injured too!"

Iruka's eyes flared. "But Lee didn't try to sever your head, did he? Don't try to deny it, Uchiha Miyo, I recognize shape manipulation when I see it."

"Miyo?" inquired Sasuke softly. "What's he talking about?"

I gritted my teeth, tired of everyone's accusing gaze. "I didn't even know I was using chakra to commit murder!"

Iruka sighed. "Miyo, I don't know what sick game you are playing, but drop it. Playing amnesiac won't get you anything, I sincerely doubt you wish for sympathy. Keep this up and we're sending you to the Yamanaka clan for further inspection."

He didn't believe me. I felt a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. Something like hurt, anger and disappointment all at once. "It was self-defense!" I screamed.

"Sasuke," said Iruka, ignoring me and turning to my brother. "I just want to inform you that your brother will be serving detention with me today so don't worry and go home first, okay?"

**:: :: ::**

I wasn't serving detention alone. I wasn't sure I should be grateful or not.

I recognized him on sight: the hero of this story. Spiky blonde hair and trademark whisker marks on his tanned cheek, he was very familiar alright. He glanced at me and scowled darkly. "You again," he spat.

"Uzumaki Naruto," I said, just for the sake of speaking.

This was something I'm getting used to quickly. People (kids) would glare angrily, hatefully at me, spitting insults and hisses ("Come to spit on us, again, Uchiha?") as if I had approached them to cause trouble and pain for them before. Which, technically, I did.

This was usually my cue to gear myself up for a fight. Something which could easily be averted if I stuck close to Sasuke but as my older brother wasn't here, I just have to tense myself, ready to strike back.

"Why are you here, bastard? Did they _finally_ catch you?" He laughed. "Finally! Everyone will know that I was innocent!"

I ignored Naruto for the rest of detention, something which seemed to irk him even further. I couldn't care less. My mind was buzzing with too much information already.

When I went home, I instantly collapsed on my bed, into Miyo's memory, as Miyo.

_"Oi, you."_

_Curious sky-blue eyes peered at me. "Me?" He asked, pointing at himself._

_I rolled my eyes. "Of course you, do you see anyone else here?"_

_Uzumaki scowled at my derisive tone. "What the hell d'ya want?" He sounded mildly annoyed._

_"Have you seen Sasuke? Oh... and what might you be doing?"_

_"I dunno where the teme went," he grumbled moodily but when he registered what my second question was, he lightened up and grinned foxily. "Me? Playing a prank. I'm going to dump pepper into Yuzuki-sensei's drink!"_

_I smiled. "I have a better idea." I rummaged around in my bag, I always kept spares. "Here," I told him, pressing the thermometer into into his palm, not much larger than mine. "This will cause even better effects! Just break it and pour the liquid in."_

_"Really?"_

_"Yeah, just don't tell anyone."_

Approximately four days later, Yuzuki-sensei retired due to poisoning. _It was an accident_, Naruto argued, _she gave it to me as a prank_.

Miyo was one-heck of an actor to be able to get out of trouble.

I was sick. What was wrong with Miyo? I could conclude that Miyo was very bitter—having all my memories and by extent, what would happen in the future—about everything. Somehow, it got into his head that he was just a temporary mindset, that he was bound to fade into non-existence.

My experience with death terrified him and he was scared of it.

_If I can't live, why should anyone else get to? It's not fair!_

I shuddered at Miyo's voice. I clutched my pillow tighter, and squeezed my eyes shut to block out his voice.

_No one can have what I_ can't_ have!_

_Miyo, you can't just waltz around and do as you please. If Father isn't going to discipline you properly, if Mother turns a blind eye to this, I'll do my duty as your older brother and put you in your place. You're going too far.  
_

_Shut up, Itachi! I'm doing you a favor and don't pretend you understand! I'll kill her, I really will if it means—_

_Then help me understand—_

(A girl's face, pale, dark-eyed and haired, mouth wide, terror etched onto her bloodless face. A long-haired boy, with my eyes and hair, seizing my arm in the same way I had seized and wrenched his necklace, and pulling me away. "Say not a word, I'm here.")

I've seen her before!

I rolled out of bed, trying to ignore the pounding headache, to erase the image of Itachi suffering a migraine induced by dealing with the terror that was his youngest brother who was insatiable, an the girl's terrified face. She wasn't a kunoichi, she was sweet, mild and gentle and—

I threw open the door to the master bedroom, ran in and started searching the shelves, the photo album Sasuke had shown me the other day in hopes to jolt a memory, there she was! The girl in my dreams!

Around her neck was a string, a necklace which had three silver rings with red gems

("It's ugly!" I yelled, pulling and wrenching spitefully, jealously, as Itachi helplessly tried to dislodge me without punting me across the room, draw too much attention that might make others draw the wrong conclusion, or hurt me in general; Sasuke was gaping at us from where he stood at the doorway, as was usual when I threw tantrums in front of Itachi. "Don't wear it! The one Sasuke and I made is much nicer—wear that butterfly choker!"

"Miyo, you're choking me—"

"Itachi!"

"All right, oh, all right...")

which, conveniently, I remember Miyo destroying right in front of her eyes. _Itachi doesn't need this from you! He hates you! Stay away from him!_

I drifted away, closing the door, not bothering to place the album back in place. Miyo was a complete monster. An envious monster. He wanted everything and anything, felt that if he was going to die young, he might as well have the whole world bowing to him.

I suppose, Miyo is just a child after all. He wasn't mature, he was just more knowledgeable and smarter than kids his age because of my memories. I had watched a fair share of inhumanity in my old life, the crimes humans did I read or watched in documentaries or action-packed movies, what happened around me, both the good and bad, Miyo was influenced by it.

Smiling even if you don't like that person isn't deception, it's politeness. Miyo interpreted everything wrong. He took heed the bad aspects and never paid attention to the good aspects, he had seen how humans act around one another and without anyone to convince him otherwise, he thought every human being lived on the principle of all man of himself and he wanted to be the best.

The teachers who struck fear within me when I knew I had not done my homework... he wanted to emulate them, he wanted to strike fear that would draw on obedience.

Miyo, at the end of the day, was someone who didn't understand a lot of things, was too self-centered to notice things properly and he didn't know how phrase, express his feelings so his solution was to hate those who never understood him.

_I'll live the life you would've wanted for you, I promise you that. Being the strongest has always been your goal, I'll start with that._

"Asuma-sensei, you're late and did you know that there's a lot I _want_ to do?"

**:: :: ::**

Asuma obviously wanted to teach me something other than fighting. Like moral values. Let me tell you, nothing can conk me out faster than such preaching about rules, good behavior and how to be a kind, compassionate person. Not only did Miyo despise such crap, even I think it's bull. But that might be because of my kindergarten teacher: he allowed us to roam free in the classroom and if we could stop ourselves from pulling girls' pigtails and kicking boys' shins or cause chaos, we are now perfectly amiable human beings who would make it far in life.

Too bad for my classmate who jumped off the building. She didn't die if that's what you're wondering. I think she's trying to prove to us how brave she was (either she did it on a dare or she was drunk), never you mind, I've lost contact with that girl ages ago and had not bothered to find her.

That's not to say I was cruel or heartless.

I care about my friends and family and would feel sad for particularly tragic deaths and angry at unfair death.

Right now, Sasuke was on my priority list. I care about him (on some level, because he was the only creature alive who didn't flinch at the sight of me), I want him safe, happy and alive.

I'll get stronger.

When Asuma refused to teach me more advanced taijutsu beyond what taught at the Academy, I launched myself at him and would try to initiate a fight.

Try being the keyword. Asuma always wiped the floor with me and nothing infuriated me more. Even after he'd left, when I was being particularly hard to work with (such as turning a deaf ear to his lectures about how Konoha came to be: trust, camaraderie, rationality, compassion, understanding and retorting with, "Look how Uchiha Madara ended up?" when I happened to be paying attention), I'd train myself, punching and kicking the tree, trying to improve my stance and going through all the kata's once more.

I knew Asuma was growing more and more disinterested in teaching me. In fact, the necessity in teaching me was gone.

I had proven what they (thought) they knew all along: I was just faking.

Even Sasuke bought that lie. He was convinced this was another evil plot. If he knew Asuma was secretly training me, he would be absolutely certain that I had done it only to earn a tutor and grow stronger.

Asuma hinted that I was power-hungry and a general hopeless case, that I should know when to stop. Not so blatantly, he was a subtle guy but I picked it up easily.

What do I have to do to make them understand?

All of a sudden, I understood what Miyo had been feeling. There was no way we could explain ourselves without being deemed insane and I was so frustrated I wanted to kick and scream (or cry), which I knew Miyo had done on several occasions. But Miyo was a child, I was technically an adult and I had pride. Do grown-ups scream and kick and throw baby tantrums? No.

I must stay strong.

My only anger outlet? I punch the tree until my knuckles were bleeding.

Right now, that's what I'm doing. After a huge argument with Asuma (so loud screaming on my part that it was a wonder it didn't bring Sasuke running), I had unceremoniously kicked him out (not literally as I'd liked), and had proceeded to train my physical strength aka "vent my anger on the poor tree that, honestly, didn't deserve this.

I was the quiet angry-sort.

Preferably, I want to punch Asuma, claw his eyeballs out and break him in half over my knee. All of which were impossible. He was a Jonin and I was an Academy student, that's not counting my small stature in comparison to his. But violence isn't the answer when it comes to those you need something from.

No, it's best to pray for patience and vent your anger out first before thinking over your next course of action.

This sucks.

**:: :: ::**

**Asuma - 1.2**

After taking care of Miyo, Asuma was adamant in this: he was never going to have children.

Yes, he admitted that they were cute and when they smiled at you, you'd feel like you're very important for placing such innocent, carefree expressions on their faces. Innocence was definitely the remedy shinobi needed after a particularly grueling mission that involved multiple murders.

Uchiha Miyo was a far cry from the remedy Asuma wanted.

At first, he was wary, guarded and shy. Once they got to know one another better though, Asuma found that Miyo had changed. From when he would only snort quietly and cut in with sarcastic remarks about his talks, he had now flat-out told Asuma such speeches were meaningless to him and that only power matters and he ordered Asuma to get his butt off the ground and teach him something useful, something that'd let him survive in the world of shinobi.

He was power-hungry, angry and frustrated most of the time. There was something in his eyes, like an animal trying to break free, that made Asuma's heart move in sympathy and frustration.

He wanted to help, he really did, but Miyo was just impossible. They could be talking amiably for one second (well, as amiable as Miyo can get these days) then Miyo'd be screaming and trying to hit Asuma.

While anger blinds and often made a shinobi sloppy, it seemed to work the opposite for Miyo who only seemed more determined and concentrated (often, Asuma found that Miyo's mind wasn't with his body and would be daydreaming even when Asuma finally agreed to spar).

Then he had heard the rumors, from Gai himself, about how Miyo had tried to decapitate Gai's chosen, would-be apprentice once the boy graduates, Rock Lee. Asuma believed Miyo when the boy said he didn't even know he was doing so and he tried hard to teach Miyo control.

But Miyo's control over chakra was... out of the norm. That's not to say he was abyssal. Miyo was acutely aware of chakra (he was probably a chakra-sensor) flowing within him and he molded it as easily as one would mold clay. He grasped Tree-Walking and Water-Walking easily. He did it with such ease and grace Asuma was actually jealous before he smacked himself and told himself that he was way better than that brat.

Not surprising. Records said that Miyo had been toddling on the Nakano River since he was one, successfully scaring the living daylights out of his mother.

But that wasn't the problem. Miyo was superbly unaware of how easily his chakra oozed out of him. No, rather, it was because of his awareness of his chakra that he described as suffocating and discomforting that makes him subconsciously leak chakra to get more comfortable.

Asuma sincerely doubted Miyo knew what he was doing. It was unlikely this boy could last long in drawn-out fights. Miyo's chakra was just like him, a wild firecracker that does whatever it wants, that sparks and cracks whenever it fucking feels like it and doesn't give a fucking damn about others.

Asuma wasn't equipped to deal with that kid, he had no experience with kids before and this boy was just tiring and consuming.

(Miyo had the knack at pushing the right buttons and goading him into really wishing he could physically harm the brat.)

The times had been fun; when Miyo skipped out on class and went running to his apartment, knocking on his door to 'train' or play as Asuma assumed it must be to the boy, Asuma (if he happened to be there) would greet him and take him wandering around Konoha and tell him things, things Miyo must've forgotten.

Asuma could swear the boy smiled in fondness a few times and he would think that Miyo wasn't such a lost cause after all.

But Miyo, at the end of the day, was Miyo. He could see intelligence and awareness in those coal-black eyes, amnesiacs aren't like that. He's faking it and it was for Miyo's own good. Asuma had to stop handing Miyo power now or Miyo would be addicted to it and forget what's important in life: love, loyalty, family, friends, bonds and trust.

("Miyo, only when you protect someone, would you get stronger."

A snort. "I know." His patronizing, condescending tone told Asuma that Miyo didn't really get it. Perhaps Asuma was just the buzzing of a fly with the amount of attention Miyo had paid him.)

So, he did what the Academy teachers had done when Miyo refused to attend classes and be a proper student once more—it was with regret that he told his father everything that had to do with Miyo—he gave up.

**:: :: ::**

To say I was shocked was an understatement.

Asuma was such a jerk. He didn't even have the decency to show up and tell me himself. I was so pissed I demolished the tree (or not). The tree was sturdy and didn't falter, leaves just kept falling and they might be crying the tears that burned behind my eyes.

I hissed in pain, massaging my stinging knuckles.

I wanted to beat up someone. Or maybe it was Miyo. Anyhow, I knew I wouldn't lose out to that little brat, I will resist the urge. I will prove Asuma wrong that I'm a barbaric hooligan, delinquent or borderline psychopath who'd laugh if people around me are hurt.

It didn't erase the hurt.

I'd get stronger, I'd exercise self-control. I _can_ do this—I'm—

"Running away, Uchiha?" The taunting voice that rung loud and clear in my ears.

I clenched my fists and marched away, shoulders trembling with strain.

* * *

**Answer to Guest Reviews:**

**Guest#1: **Miyo'll look androgynous.

**Retzl:** The original Miyo feels for Sasuke as one would love his favorite car/toy.

**Guest#2:** Wait and see. XD

.

**A.N:** Don't worry, Asuma will come back.

**Question:** What do you think of Miyo's relationship/attitude with Itachi and/or Sasuke?

_Reviews are welcomed._


	6. Chapter 6

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything you recognize.**

**:: ::**

**:: ::**

* * *

**The Blurring Lines**

**Chapter 5**

* * *

_"Let go, Nara," I hissed, glaring at the hand that wrapped tightly around my ankle, threatening to pull me down along with her into the abyss._

_Nara Shikari stared up at me with glazed eyes. "Please," she whimpered. "Don't leave me here."_

_I laughed dourly. "Finally swallowed your pride and said sorry didn't you?" She whimpered in response. "Too late." I sneered, kicking her hand off my ankle and stepped back. "Prodigy? I'll show you that the other clans pale in comparison to the Uchiha clan. How could those bumbling baboons consider you a prodigy is beyond me."_

_"I didn't ask for it!" she screamed._

_I smiled, lacking sympathy for the girl I was irritated at. "My deepest apologies. May this be a lesson to everyone else." I slid the plank wood on top of the hole, dug deep and snug enough for a six-year-old (or seven since her birthday passed not two weeks ago). Did she know how long I spent to dig this grave? All for her. All the best for Shikari. I slid the second plank in place and once the third slid over, concealing the light, her screams grew louder but remained muffled._

_I had just placed a small boulder on top of the wood when I heard a familiar voice, yelling my name._

_"Miyo! Miyo!"_

_I glanced up, mouth parted slightly in shock. "Itachi?" Nonplussed, I dropped the boulder I was holding. It made a loud enough_ thunk!_ to draw my oldest brother's attention._

_His face was white with shock, but other than that, he didn't show any other emotion. I wondered, despite the surprise at this unplanned attendance, what he was going to do. Itachi had always cleaned up my mess, always covered up for me. Had I gone too far? For the first time, a sliver of fear dug in my chest. I didn't want Itachi to—_

_"Dig her out," ordered Itachi, his tone not betraying what he was feeling. _

_"But I was just playing—"_

_"Now." His voice left no room to argue._

_Meekly, I continued, "I wanted to be her friend but she—"_

_Itachi shoved past me and started removing the boulders I'd placed then the planks when he realized I wouldn't be moving anytime soon. Shikari was still sobbing and screaming. A distant bark drew my attention and I groaned softly. This was growing to be quite the party._

_"Miyo," said Itachi, snatching my attention once more. I looked sullenly at him. "Say not a word, I'm here." _To cover-up for you again_ went unsaid. Then he seized my arm the same way I'd wrenched his necklace and pulled me away, hurriedly. We disappeared into the trees and darkness as one of the Inuzuka dogs rounded into the clearing, drawn by the girl's screams._

_"Miyo, I don't know what to do with you anymore," said brother dear the moment we reached the Compound and he shut me in his room to limit my movements. He'd always been generous and self-sacrificing, he was ready to face my tantrums head on for the sake of others' well-being. _

_I wondered if he did it because as a shinobi of Konoha, he was entitled to protect its villagers from his psychopathic brother or he did it because he wanted to ensure his youngest brother wasn't doing too much harm to himself._

_"Just keep doing what you do."_

_"Prevent you from committing murders because of a broken-heart?" Itachi sighed slightly. "What did Shisui said the other day? Oh, yes, there are a lot of fish in the ocean, no need to go ballistic over—"_

_"I want someone who can match my intelligence." That's not arrogance._

_Brother didn't answer and I started moving, bored with just standing there. I felt Itachi's questioning eyes on me as I wandered to his desk. "You read my diary," I spat, incensed._

_Itachi was too used by that tone to be bothered. "Then hide it better," he responded blandly and I felt like slapping him but resisted. I read the first few entries for this month and the tulip flower pressed in the between the pages._

_I pressed my lips into a thin line to stop the tremble. My eyes stung, recalling the rejection. _

_"Nii-san..." _

_"Miyo," mimicked my brother but when I turned hopelessly crushed gaze on him, he relented, rolling over to make space for me. "Get in and don't cause anymore trouble."_

_"It's enough for one night."_

_"I'll deal with everything tomorrow, smooth things over when she talks, so don't worry and sleep." _

_I turned, pressing my smiling lips to his collarbone, curling my fingers in his shirt and tangled my legs with his. "You always were the best." His arms encased me, linked loosely. "I'll give you a thousand paper cranes."_

_"Funny. The word rhymes with migraines."_

_I giggled into the crook of his neck, feeling safe and loved and feeling that the world might not be so bad if Ita-nii is there._

_I always woke earlier than Ita-nii, still wrapped loosely in his embrace, just to feel the fleeting sensation of completion where my whole life had yet to catch up to me and I could just relax and breathe._

_Reality__ sinking into my bones- clock continuing their ticking-_

_The illusion never lasts. Pity._

**:: :: ::**

The dream—or memory—haunted me for the next few weeks; everywhere I turned, I expected to see the flying black hair woven into a braid, a pale-faced pretty smiling girl. I don't know what became of her but I'm sure she was traumatized. She was once in Miyo's class but she was no longer there and I had no wish to seek her out.

I don't know what I'd do anyway. Beg for forgiveness?

I was utterly disgusted with what Miyo had done, horrified even, but why apologize for something that is _not_ my fault?

If I recall correctly, this incident happened not too long before the Massacre.

The Massacre. I sighed at the thought. Just more problems to deal with. Or not. Sasuke expected me to remember everyone in the family and in the evenings when neither of us would be training, he would pull out photo albums and tell me stories about each Uchiha.

I always went to bed with their names and faces swimming in my head.

It didn't help my nightmares. Almost every night, I dreamt of said Uchiha's clawing at me from the small hole (the one Miyo'd dug for Shikari) and woke up in cold sweat. Coupled with the lack of sleep and how everyone was irritating me in general (Asuma had yet to turn up with an apology or a proper excuse), I was not a pleasant person to be around.

Fortunately, Sasuke understood and he would leave when he knew I wasn't in the mood to be amiable.

We're in the tentative phases of our relationship. We spent little time together outside of sparring and recalling old memories. Sasuke wasn't one for heart-to-heart, as he'd said, and he got awkward quickly when he was trying to reassure me. I asked him why he felt the need to reassure me and Sasuke said I always have that haunted look in my eyes, he said that I look lost and he asked if I really am confused about something.

I was touched by his concern.

Sasuke was emotionally strong.

At least, I thought so anyway.

His whole family died and his life crashed like terracotta pieces and other than that episode in the hospital, I had not seen him cry.

There was only one other time he cried; at the anniversary of the clan's demise.

"Nii-san... _why_?" A broken, choked sob.

It wasn't expected of me to shed tears, I just felt sorry for Sasuke and wished, somehow, that I could share half of his pain because the look on his face was just pitiful.

Sasuke's question wasn't directed to anyone in particular. I spoke anyway, "They say he's crazy."

Sasuke pressed the balls of his palms into his eyes, breathing raggedly, and hissed, "He told me it was to test his own strength."

"Should've gone for the Hokage," I mumbled.

Sasuke shot me a dirty look and I fell silent, wiping my face blank of any emotions. It was creepy if I must say so, standing on empty graves. Due to our special bloodline, we wouldn't be buried when we die, instead, we'd be burn in a pyre. And if we happen to be dying on missions, well tough luck, we've got to burn ourselves before our enemies get to us or at least destroy our eyes.

How wonderful.

It was another reason why I have to get stronger. I didn't look forward to combust myself.

"Let's go," I said, "It's autumn and it's freaking cold." Go ahead, call me insensitive but I was tired of standing in this creepy place surrounded by hundreds of tombstones. I was ready for a mug of hot chocolate and curling in bed to sleep.

"I'm going to kill him," murmured Sasuke, not seeming to have heard me.

"Who? Itachi?" I tried to tone the skepticism and sarcasm. "How do we even know it _was_ him?"

"_You_ don't remember, Miyo!" snarled Sasuke, fists clenching and I wondered if he was holding himself back from punching me. "I came in just as he was raising his sword to _behead_ you! Mom and Dad were already dead! You didn't see what I saw! I feared for you—you weren't moving—and... and seeing you of all people so helpless and defenseless... it scared me."

"Just the sight of me helpless scared you?" I repeated, incredulous. "What do you mean?"

Sasuke slanted me an unreadable look. "You always managed to make Itachi do what you want him to."

"By throwing tantrums, sure," I sneered.

"Even Mom and Dad got you whatever you wanted, you always won, you never—_ever_—were at the disadvantage." His gaze turned thoughtful. "I think that's why everyone chased you down, some didn't even do it for revenge..."

"What are you talking about?" I was baffled.

"I think Ita— that bastard was like that... there are people out there who feels fascinated at tearing down the strong, there's always that satisfied sort of feeling knowing that you tore someone from their high pedestal... that you're stronger than the strongest... to destroy someone who was previously untouchable..." Sasuke shifted his gaze away, fixing his eyes on 'father's' tombstone. "I don't why I'm explaining this to you. It's weird."

I was genuinely curious. "How so?"

"You were one of them, a predator."

I looked away, not wanting to discuss this topic any further. I'd prefer to steer clear of any sign of insanity Miyo had shown. Through me, Miyo's reputation would be turned over a new leaf, I would not be psychopathic.

Losing my mind is my greatest fear and I'm sure Miyo shared the same fear.

**:: :: ::**

The Hokage himself paid us a visit during the winter vacation, he dropped in when Sasuke and I were sparring. It was hard for him to maneuver in the snow. I had an easier time since my loose chakra that constantly kept me cool swept the snow away or I could pump chakra to the soles of my feet, it's similar to Water-Walking.

Miyo's smug superiority proved to be useful at times like this.

"How did you learn that?" Sasuke demanded as he fell off the tree. After noticing his difficulty and lording it over him for a few minutes, I finally deigned to teach him how to Tree-Walk.

"Because I'm me," I waved his question away. "Get on with it." Thunk! "Oh, good! That's, um, one millimeter from the last point?"

"Shut up, Miyo," snapped Sasuke, irritated.

"Heh."

And that was when an entirely new voice cut through over conversation, "Having fun, children?"

I turned, unleashing a hail of paper shurikens before I could see the person properly. That's Miyo's paranoia ingrained too deeply into this body to be removed. Sasuke had dropped down from the tree, cheeks flushed red from the cold. I was sure I was as flushed as he was.

I squinted at him. "I remember you," I said, playing dumb. "When we're at the hospital and you're there at the Academy, giving speeches... what're you doing here?"

He smiled indulgently then he pointed at himself. "Sarutobi Hiruzen," he said firmly, gazing kindly down at me.

"Hello," I said politely while Sasuke grunted.

"So, Miyo, I was wondering why your attendance is so abyssal. I decided to see for myself if you were as ill as you were supposed to be..." he trailed off when Sasuke made a discontented sound.

"You skipped school?" Brother dear demanded.

"Yes," I said flatly. "I find Academy to be stupid and boring. I have a much more productive time training by myself. I mean, what's the use of geography, science and maths when we're fighting to survive on the battlefield?"

Sarutobi sighed, coming closer; he crouched to be at my height. "Miyo-chan," he said gently, "those subjects are taught for a reason. Perhaps you'd retired from shinobi life and you'd want to look for a civilian job?"

I bit down the retort. I knew everything already but Sarutobi didn't need to know about my past life and the memories I'd acquired. I released a sigh. "I do attend classes... just not everyday."

"We walk to school together everyday," Sasuke griped.

"Yeah, but our classes are in different blocks so it's easy to walk right out the school gates once we went our separate ways." I shrugged. "I didn't want to run into angry mobs out for my head anyway."

Sarutobi eyed me. "You mean you're being bullied?"

"Not really, they're calling for retribution. Apparently, I was a bully. Emphasis on the 'was'. But I've been good! I haven't started fights for nearly six months!"

"And that's a record," said Sasuke honestly. "Is that all?" he wondered. "Did you come here just to talk about trivial matters such as Miyo's attendance in school? This time, I'll make sure I walk him to classes and stay long enough for the teacher to enter."

I shot him a filthy look but he ignored me.

Sarutobi smiled. "So, moving onto something advanced, aren't we?"

"I wouldn't consider Tree-Climbing advance," I said, a tad snootily. I shot Sasuke a pointed look and he sighed, shuffling away to try again. Good. It leaves me a chance to talk to Sarutobi personally. "So, Sandaime-sama, I have something I want to ask you."

"Is that so?"

I don't like his tone but I forced a smile. "It is so," I said in the best, nice-kid voice I could draw on. "I want to transfer classes."

"Are your classmates giving you a hard time?"

"No, we ignored one another, these days... I think they're too scared of me but I'm not complaining." I sighed when Sarutobi arched a knowing brow. "Okay, I admit, I'm lonely and it's frustrating. I want to be with Sasuke even if we're not the chummiest pair of brothers around. I at least want someone who can tolerate me and won't flinch every time I happen to glance in their direction."

"You wish to have friends," concluded Sarutobi.

"I just want someone that can... ease my worries, make me smile and laugh." I tapped the spot where my heart was beating steadily. "Here. It's throbbing in emptiness."

Friend; a person with whom one has a bond of mutual affection.

And I'm thirsting for some affection.

Sarutobi studied me for a long, long time. "We shall see about that."

I give him two weeks. If no changes are made, I'm following Sasuke into his classroom and am staying there. They have to physically, forcefully eject me from that class.

The weeks spent waiting for him to make his decision was agonizing. I told Sasuke about wanting to be with him but he said demanding wouldn't be much and to show I was really serious, I should write an official letter.

It goes like this:

_You better agree, I know where you and your family live._  
_-Uchiha Miyo_

Sasuke chucked the paper into the bin without so much as a second glance. "Do you know how to write an official letter?"

"Not really, no," I snorted.

"Try again.

_Do it or I'd pull an Itachi on you._  
_-Yours hatefully, Uchiha Miyo_

Sasuke tore that one to shreds. "Take things seriously or you can stay in that class behind me!"

I didn't know what to write. No, I know how to write. As ugly as my handwriting is, I know how to write an official letter. I just... the Sandaime wasn't the one I wanted to write to.

I don't care if I'm two years behind Sasuke.

I just want Asuma to teach me.

I want to write to him. So I did.

**:: :: ::**

**Sarutobi - 3.1**

A psychopath. That had been what Uchiha Itachi had used to describe his youngest brother. Itachi eventually confessed that he was guilty-by-association. He had genjutsu'ed Nara Shikari—and many others—into telling complete bull to save his brother's hide.

It disturbed Hiruzen greatly to know how much damage a six-year-old can do.

Nara Shikari would never be the same again. Hiruzen didn't want to imagine how a claustrophobic, asthmatic seven-year-old could cope with being locked in the dark, cramped space, with the knowledge that your classmate was crazy enough to really leave you there for death.

From what Shikaku had reported, Shikari had dropped out from the ninja-system completely but had not been able to offer up any names.

Hiruzen, as promised, had cleared Miyo of all charges. The forceful and unusual retirement of Inoue Yuzuki had to be let slide.

(Bonds of brothers would remain a mystery to Hiruzen, he was an only child, he had no brother so he wouldn't understand why Itachi would give so much for his brothers)

Hiruzen stared at the two short letters Miyo had written, containing death threats to the Hokage himself if he didn't go through with what he demanded. It showed clearly that Miyo was still prone to violence but he hadn't actually sent kids to the hospital these past few months...

Hiruzen shifted his attention to the third letter, written by Uchiha Sasuke. It was detailed, evidence of why Miyo deserved to be transferred to the same class as he. If he brought this up with the council members, no doubt they would agree. Or not. Shikaku probably wouldn't want mini-Tachi near his son and come to think of it, no one would want Miyo near their kids.

Danzo, Koharu and Homura would definitely support the Uchiha though. Whether it be out of guilty conscience or for the good of the village... A psychopath without proper ability to feel would be Danzo's ideal soldier.

Hiruzen sighed. He hadn't told Itachi about Miyo's condition, just put in that both brothers were physically fine and a mental evaluation would be done soon. Hiruzen had just been finishing the letter for Itachi anyway. Hiruzen managed to hide everything from view just as someone threw the door open and rushed in.

He blinked. "Asuma?" he said, nonplussed at the sight of his son.

His son thrust a paper, a letter by the looks of it, in front of him. Hiruzen read it rather quickly, brows arched. "What do I do?" demanded Asuma.

"Why do you need my opinion?" inquired Hiruzen gently, mildly surprised by Miyo's (seemingly) heartfelt letter. Miyo couldn't work out anything to give to Hiruzen other than death threats and yet, for Asuma, Miyo's handwriting was not only neat and pretty, he also had a lot to say and he sounded genuinely sorry.

"Look, I have no reason to take in an apprentice—"

"You said it yourself, Miyo is power-hungry and if Danzo finds out and makes an offer Miyo can't refuse, things will be bad. At least you're offering him power, bit-by-bit, and who knows? After such a long time of exposure to you, perhaps he will see the error of his ways."

Asuma still looked doubtful. "Why didn't you point this out earlier when I resigned?"

"Because I do not wish to force you," said Hiruzen honestly. "Since you came to be, you're honestly asking for an unbiased opinion. You like the child and you truly wish to educate him." He'd nailed it and Asuma knew it.

He sighed. "Giving up on the brat was hard to do but if he really managed to reign in his temper and violent tendencies..."

"I still think there's something you should know," said Hiruzen. "Miyo has been classified as a psychopath by Itachi." He held up a hand to stop whatever Asuma wanted to say. "I just want to warn you to look out. I do not know what Miyo is capable of." He eyed his son, grinning. "You'd take our resident psychopath in, won't you?"

Asuma accepted the file, eyeing it doubtfully. "I'd try. In the right light, he can be cute."

Once Asuma had left, Hiruzen drew a new paper with a flourish, deciding to add that _Miyo may have forgotten his whole, short six-years of life but he's still the same_ to Itachi to soothe the older Uchiha's worries and enclosed Miyo's handwritten letter with it.

Once his monkey summon left with the letter, Hiruzen reclined in his seat, sighing. Nearly one year after the Massacre.

He wondered, briefly, if Itachi cried as hard as Sasuke did during the anniversary of their family's death.

**:: :: ::**

* * *

Status: Un-beta'ed.

Update: 13/7/2014

* * *

Review and check out my new stories!


	7. Chapter 7

******************Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto**

* * *

**The Blurring Lines**

**Chapter 6**

by GaleSynch

* * *

**Sasuke - 2.1**

Miyo's grades weren't good. Sasuke only knew this when Suzune-sensei called him into the staff room and showed him his brother's abysmal grades, how he wasn't passing up his homework or he was passing up folded origami. Which wasn't weird, Miyo always liked doing that, folding crap he meant.

But the Miyo he used to know would still complete his work, with absolute perfection and he'd rub it in Sasuke's face that he was smarter than Sasuke or something.

Even his brother's handwriting had changed; once so elegant, it now resembles a chicken's attempt at writing. Sasuke supposed it was because his brother had forgotten how to write anymore.

Sasuke knew what everyone was whispering behind their backs (or, sometimes, in front of their faces). That Miyo was faking it to gain something.

Sasuke was tempted to agree because there were times amnesiac!Miyo acted like original!Miyo.

But Sasuke knew better. Yes, he wasn't close to Miyo and more often than not, he was arguing with the younger boy at home, back when everyone was still... like it used to be. Miyo would tease Sasuke, and when he failed to get a reaction, would start demeaning Sasuke which would prompt a full-out fist-fight until either their mother or their oldest brother pull them apart.

Then Miyo would run to their mother and bawl his eyes out about how '_Sasuke was bullying him_' and Sasuke would be admonished (if their remaining brother wasn't there to clear things out and bail him out).

Basically, Sasuke knew all about Miyo's acting skills and would be able to tell whether he was lying or not.

He wasn't. Miyo was a changed person now. The old Miyo was probably gone for good... Sasuke wasn't sure if that was a bad thing or not. It was probably not.

"Sasuke-kun." Blinking, the young Uchiha—the realization that he was one of the last Uchiha came with a stab of sadness—raised his head to see who had addressed him. He instantly recognized the man as the co-teacher to Miyo's class. "Will you help me bring this to the staff room? I've got to assign detention to a few naughty students."

Seeing no reason to refuse as he was going to pass by the staff room anyway, Sasuke nodded and accepted the burden. His easy task was made harder by some idiot who left the window open and the spring breeze scattered his papers. He cussed softly, crouching to pick up the papers.

One paper made him still; it was his brother's name. To be more specific, it was Miyo's test paper. Sasuke wouldn't have been able to tell by the answers and handwriting alone. Sasuke stared in disbelief at the nearly empty paper; he flipped through it. He didn't know Miyo had a test today.

History. Miyo could've answered these in his sleep.

But, Sasuke reminded himself, that was before the Massacre. This Miyo didn't remember anything so he didn't know how to do it. The teachers didn't bother giving him a different test or make an exception because they all believed he was faking it. Damn, if Miyo failed this year, he would have to repeat. Not that his attendance record was making things easier for him.

Before he could contemplate too much, Sasuke was already fumbling for his writing utensils. No one was watching, most of the kids had already went home and the teachers were in the staff room. If he hurried... Sasuke started scribbling messily on the paper, making his handwriting as sloppy as possible to pass off as Miyo's.

"What'cha doing?"

Sasuke jumped, whirling around to see who had spoken. It was a blonde boy, the dead-last in his class that he never bothered with. He scowled. "Screw off, dope. I'm busy."

"Cheater!" yelled the boy. "You're changing your answer after the test! I'm going to tell Iruka-sensei—"

"This test-paper isn't even mine!" Sasuke argued and the boy stilled.

"'S not?" he inquired suspiciously, edging closer and peering over Sasuke's shoulder to see whose paper it was. "Who's Miyo?"

"That's my brother."

"So you're helping him cheat?" he asked, baffled. "Why?"

Sasuke scowled as he started on the last question. "What sort of question is that? I'm helping him because he's my younger brother!"

"That's what brothers do?"

Sasuke gritted his teeth, pressing down so hard his pencil lead snapped as, unbidden, the memory of another brother surfaced. He shot the dope a furious glare. "It's none of your business, you wouldn't understand."

"Hey! I'll tell the teachers, I really will!"

"Go on then! It's my word against yours and we all know the teachers hate you! No one will believe you!" Gathering his bag and arranging the papers into a neat stack, he stood and stalked away, ignoring the blonde boy's indignant cries. Fortunately, not a teacher suspected anything and a teacher even praised him.

He felt a little guilty; as he made his way back home, Sasuke reflected and wondered if he should've done that seeing as Miyo, in the same situation, would probably have erased all of Sasuke's answer or tear it into shreds.

_That,_ Sasuke told himself again, _is something the old Miyo would do_. Not this Miyo, he doubt it.

"Welcome home, Nii-chan." Not for the first time, he tensed at the greeting. Miyo never welcomed him home, he would instead smirk that little smirk which would set Sasuke on edge and dance away, no doubt plotting something painful or humiliating for Sasuke to experience.

Miyo's voice was a little subdued and Sasuke felt something lancing through his chest at the soft and weak voice. "What's wrong?" he asked, a little uncomfortable.

"Nothing," Miyo mumbled. "History and Asuma are stupid anyway."

"You had a test today, didn't you?" Sasuke asked even though he had no idea who Asuma was.

"...Yes." Miyo's eyes flashed.

"I'm assuming you didn't do well."

"No, I don't bother remembering a lot of things."

And that was when Sasuke knew he had done the right thing—not as a student, but as a brother. He knew this counted, in his father's vocabulary, as coddling and would've disapproved of it. But this Miyo was all he had left now, he couldn't waste his chance at a strong bond with his only family left on the words of a dead man who never really seen him as himself.

He patted Miyo's head, feeling a little awkward.

"It's okay. Aniki already took care of that." _Why do you have to worry when I'd be here?_

_Don't coddle him, _a voice hissed, sounding suspiciously like his father's braided with Itachi's.

"Just... try," said Sasuke, sounding strained even to his own ears. "If you flunk everything, you won't be able to graduate. You don't even go to the Academy anymore."

"Because it's stupid," said Miyo, a hint of his old smug superiority seeping into his tone.

"Then why didn't you answer your History paper properly?"

"How did you even know?" Miyo demanded petulantly.

"I saw," answered Sasuke, trying to keep the irritation out of his voice. "I'm disappointed in you. The Miyo I knew wouldn't have flunked."

Sasuke turned away, things were hard enough without his little brother causing problems, and ignored the chip in his heart when he saw Miyo's wide-eyed expression and the hurt that seized his face.

Shinobi children aren't meant to be coddled. Sasuke had done the right thing.

**:: :: ::**

Sasuke's disappointment in the person I am was much harder to handle.

In fact, I have to breathe in and out deeply and tense my limbs to prevent myself from leaping on Sasuke and punch the living daylights out of him.

_Don't be violent, don't resort to that or you'd prove Asuma and Sasuke right... that you're just a barbaric hooligan or something along those lines..._

I squeezed my eyes shut and let out an angry hiss. Failure, am I?

Sasuke was wrong. I scored top grades in every test but geography. I've never been good at memorizing places and my navigation skills suck. I could barely name twelve out of who-knows-how-many states in my country, and they're expecting me to name places I had never been to?

To be fair, they had no idea and I wasn't about to enlighten them.

_Just... try._

I had been avoiding Sasuke for awhile now, I refused to even sit at the same table as he. I had insulted his culinary skills and he told me I can show myself out the door and to the restaurant. Something which I did do, after chucking his fried (emphasis on_ fried_) rice into the dustbin.

And, contrary to popular belief, I felt guilty and bought take-out for him. I didn't see it on the dining table the next morning, I didn't dare check the dust-bin, I didn't want to feel the phantom knife digging in deeper at his blatant rejection of my apology.

And, to make it up to him (unsure if he'd be aware of his or not), I burnt the midnight oil studying for the retest that took place a week later.

With book in hand, I could squash my violent tendencies, if I just recite the Five Elemental Countries repeatedly in my mind, what ninja villages resided there and the kekkei-genkais available.

Sketching, drawing and painting helps too.

Suzune screamed at me for vandalizing school property but her opinion counts for little as we all know she despises me and she has no eye for art.

I was, however, in the phase of becoming a non-violent kid and a lovely boy so I smiled (hideously) and promised (through gritted teeth) to not vandalize school property anymore and that I was sorry.

She gave me a sketchbook in return for my abnormally good behavior. A useless gift that I chucked across the room and sneer when it embedded deep into the wall.

Approximately five minutes of listening to the Dictaphone later, I stood, considerably more calm, crossed the room, wrenched the sketchbook out of the wall and started sketching.

The painlessness was a bonus for finding different anger-outlets. I had been getting annoyed with the constant ache whenever I flex my fingers.

**:: :: ::**

Playing hide-and-seek with the Gang of Avengers was good shinobi training. I could test my hiding skills, my ability to set up traps and being stealthy. Setting traps was something hot-headed Miyo wasn't so proficient in doing so my traps either detonated in my face or failed to detain the gang completely. Like me, he felt it was more useful to bash people's head in than to set traps.

I guess we learn new stuff everyday.

On a completely unrelated note, I've been waiting for an apology from either Sasuke or Asuma.

I've been good! For one whole month! I didn't start (or end) fights, I walk away from taunts and I was polite to my teachers. I was perfectly obedient.

The Academy teachers were waiting for me to implode the building. Never mind those paranoid gits.

I was in a bad mood anyhow. Lips pursed in displeasure, dark aura menacing, no one dared to approach me. I was just stalking around the building when the earth shook. I blinked, turned and my brows climbed when I saw Sasuke speeding toward me and past me.

I understood not a moment later. A mob of fan girls, leaving dust in the air, as they ran, were charging down the path and squealing my brother's name.

They skidded to a halt when they saw me, more than a few bumping into one another. They gazed curiously at me but I recognized Sakura and Ino among them.

I smiled sarcastically at them. "Yes?"

"Hey, you, have you seen my Sasuke-kun?" demanded Sakura.

A red-haired girl snapped. "Yours? He's mine!"

"He probably doesn't even know you exist!" Another rebuked.

I crossed my arms, to stop myself from punching them. The grin was growing increasingly hard to keep up. _Their_ Sasuke? He was my brother and mine only, don't you agree? "That's my brother you're talking about, like a possession," I hissed vindictively, not needing to shout to make myself heard. I knew the venom was more than they had ever heard in their whole lives. "Leave him alone or suffer my displeasure."

"Who do you think you are?" snapped a brunette.

"I'm his brother!" I snarled angrily. "And unless you want to end up like Shikari, you better fuck off!"

There was a stunned silence before a younger girl, about my age, hissed in alarm, "That's Uchiha Miyo! He isn't lying!"

A squeal of terror followed soon. "Let's go!" They dispersed pretty quickly, leaving me confused.

Who was Shikari? What did they know that I did not? A memory tugged at me but I didn't want to review it until I was safely barricaded at home and away from prying eyes.

"You can come out now, Nii-chan," I called, able to sense my brother around somewhere. I found that I (or Miyo) could do that when I concentrated hard enough. I frowned thoughtfully at the tree where I was positive had hidden. He refused to show himself however. "Keep that up, jerk! You're the worst brother ever! At least Itachi does what I want him to!"

It was becoming even more frequent. Sentences that totally slipped past my lips before my brain could truly process it. Those were Miyo's words, his memories that prompted this body to speak it, probably out of habit.

I sighed. Latching onto someone else's body, especially that of a psychopath's, is very troublesome.

"Never mind," I said dully. "I'm sorry. There, I swallowed my pride and said it. Wish you could." I added the last bit loudly. I pivoted on my heel, ready to leave when Sasuke called out.

"Wait, Miyo!" I stopped long enough for Sasuke to come right behind me. I could feel his penetrating stare on the back of my head. I made to turn but—unexpectedly—Sasuke wrapped his arms around my shoulders, holding me in place.

"What?" I asked, annoyed.

"I'm bad at these things... heart-to-hearts I mean. I always get the impression you'd laugh at me." He took a deep breath and exhaled, grip tightening, as if to make sure I wouldn't run. I couldn't see his expression but I assume his face was twisted in discomfort now. "Miyo, I know you have a tough time, without your memories and all..."

"I thought you didn't believe me."

"The Miyo I know wouldn't have held himself back. When he knows he's been caught at a lie, he confesses, improvises and does better."

"So you're saying I suck at lying now."

"Yes," said Sasuke bluntly, pulling me to his torso. I could tell he was nervous, he probably hadn't had a serious conversation with Miyo before. "...What's your problem exactly?"

"Everything," I spat bitterly. "How everyone looks at me, how they pick fights with me, holding grudges against something I can no longer remember doing and I... have dreams, bad dreams. I remember those memories, sometimes, of all the bad things I've done..."

"Do you regret them?"

"...Depends," I said, "I'm not sure I did it out of a whim or because they had done something to annoy me in the first place. If it was the former, I'd feel guilty but it's in the past now and I'm not apologizing for something if they're going to go all high and mighty."

"Your pride is in the way."

"Big words coming from you," I shot back. "And that's not all. I'm lacking affection and attention... I've been ditched by you..." _And Asuma_. "I don't like being abandoned. You make me feel unimportant." A pause. "Which I guess I am, huh. I bet I'd die and you wouldn't care if it could get you to Itachi."

"Don't say that!" snarled Sasuke, gripping my shoulders hard. "You're more important than Itachi!"

"If you had to choose between saving me and killing him, which would you take?"

He hesitated, a pregnant pause ensued, before he finally said, "Don't make me answer that." I laughed dourly because that was better than nothing. "And I'd try as long as you do. We can try to be real brothers, we'd be there for one another and... help the other when he's in trouble and... everything brothers do."

"Like killing family?"

"Shut up, Miyo." His tone told me I was trying his tenuous patience.

"...Sorry." We just made up—sort of—and ending the day with another argument wouldn't do either of our mental healthy good. "Can you let me go so we can go home now?"

Sasuke hesitated. "When you threw a tantrum like this... Ita—he always hug you from behind because it calms you done, I thought it might work. Did it?"

"I think it did." And Sasuke released me, stepping up beside me, he brushed my knuckles with his own. "So," I said, a tad awkwardly. "Home?"

"...Yeah. Let's."

In awkward silence, we made our way back to the Uchiha Compound, walking as closely as two people who aren't touching as possible.

I didn't say anything when he slipped his hand in mine.

**:: :: ::**

My ears were ringing from Suzune's latest rant. But whatever, I haven't heard a word but I can say that she's repeating what she said the last time we met. Which was about two weeks ago. Coming in during the last session of class was, apparently, a bad thing to do.

(Sasuke did not have the patience to drag me out of bed.)

Suzune wasn't a practitioner of 'better late than never'.

I was the last to turn up in school but was the first to leave the class—before Suzune was finished with me of course. I only came because I want to see someone.

I glanced up at the sign. Yep. This would be Rock Lee's class. I scuffed my foot against the ground before I opened the door and peered in. No one was there. But Lee's bag _was_ there. As I'd expected, my observations of him led me to conclude that he trained in the schoolyard and since his bag was nowhere in sight, he would've left it in class.

I dropped the note in his bag, hoping he'd see it before leaving.

Lee must've been rather observant to spot my note because he turned up rather eagerly. His round eyes were burning with determination. "Uchiha Miyo! I knew that someday you'd acknowledge—"

"What's there to acknowledge when you suck?"

I sought Lee out for one reason and that reason only. I was tired of the tree as my punching bag. Not only did my knuckles hurt and bled, I wanted a moving target, to test how strong I was getting. Whether or not I was improving and if I can get stronger and faster.

I had seen Lee's prowess in combat in the anime, he was a suitable candidate.

Lee's face fell slightly. "I still—"

"I want you to train with me, be my sparring partner." I declared.

Lee gaped at me, surprised. His mouth flapped open wordlessly before he managed to find his voice and said, "Huh? But why me? I thought you—"

"It's nothing personal. I want someone who can stand being beaten down and will rise up again, burning with determination and you fit the bill. And you can challenge me whenever we spar, isn't that what you wanted?"

Lee frowned, an unusual and unexpected expression to see on his face. I arched a brow in askance, waiting patiently. "Okay," he said quietly. "When can we start?"

"Now." And I lunged.

**:: :: ::**

There was no point in asking Sasuke to join us. Clearly, Lee wouldn't have fit Sasuke's view as a strong opponent. I noticed that Lee's stance was off and the first few times we met to spar, I had to correct a lot of things. Not that I knew what I was talking about.

Everything came from Miyo's memory and it told me that Lee sucked very badly right now.

No worries. Once he was sorted into Team Gai, he would be one of the strongest Genin.

But something was off though. I still found myself holding back, it was a subconscious thing because I knew full well that if I loose control, my chakra would go wild and quite possibly slice Lee into ribbons.

"Why are you holding back?" inquired Lee, baffled. When he saw me clutching the stitch in my side, he started forward, concern ill-concealed in his dark eyes.

I waved him away, hissing in anger at my own stamina. My stamina sucks. I was winded after about fifteen minutes while Lee had barely broke sweat. I didn't know what was wrong. I tried everything I could think of to improve my stamina, such as standing for one whole day but that only resulted in aching legs and I used that reason to skipped school again.

Lee was no use in the advising department. He was proving to be less and less of a useful friend material. I guess all we could ever be was sparring partners.

"I don't want to hurt you," I said honestly. "My chakra is volatile, I don't have the best control over it."

"Oh," said Lee. "I don't know what you feel, my chakra coils are... dysfunctional." he sounded extremely depressed about it but I doubt any words of comfort would make him feel better. Not like comforting him would right his chakra coils... Besides, he can always motivate himself.

I only had to wait for three seconds before Lee raised his head again, eyes blazing. "But I'll definitely beat you even without ninjutsu and genjutsu! I'll prove to the world that I can be a great ninja simply by using taijutsu!"

I've heard that for about the thirtieth time this hour. I'm not exaggerating. I pressed my tongue to the inside of my cheek to stem the rebuttal dying to escape my lips.

I will not give in to Miyo. I will not.

"That's... nice," I grounded out.

"That is."

I turned. "Asuma!" I called, but stopped when I noticed that he wasn't alone. I narrowed my eyes suspiciously.

**:: :: ::**

**Asuma - 1.3**

Miyo hadn't change, in terms of appearance but his attitude was different. Asuma had heard how the boy beat up his current sparring partner before, had awarded the older boy a three-night stay in the hospital for severe laceration, mild concussion and a lot of broken bones.

As it was summer, Miyo had on only a white-shirt and khaki shorts. His dressing theme really was different from the rest of the Uchiha that preferred dark colors but he was the only oddity. And hopefully, the only dysfunctional one of the remaining Uchiha.

No... that was asking for the impossible. Itachi fucked up both his brothers and there was no going back unless Sasuke has amnesia like Miyo.

Miyo was staring at him and Kakashi, wide-eyed, surprised. The other, Lee or something, was watching them curiously.

Asuma didn't say hello, he didn't say sorry. He just sort of stared at Miyo. He had seen both boys sparring and he'd enlisted the help of one Hatake Kakashi once he'd noticed it: how strained Miyo was when he was sparring, as if he was facing an opponent he can't beat.

Which baffled Asuma because Miyo made Lee eat dirt.

"Asuma!" said Miyo, surprised, but his eyes narrowed when he saw Kakashi. Lee shuffled closer Miyo. "What's he doing here?"

Once again, Miyo disregarded the who's and only bothered with the why's. He was odd like that but Asuma was used to oddity.

"I'm just checking something," said Asuma dismissively. "Keep sparring."

Miyo cast them one last glance before he engaged Lee in battle once more.

With Kakashi's Sharingan eye, Asuma had unearthed something very interesting and probably never before seen. Miyo, for all his taijutsu prowess, didn't have physical enhancements that using chakra had. His moves were all purely physical energy, which would explain why he tired out so easily.

He'd used up his physical energy, his mental energy were unused, no chakra was produced whenever he engaged in a taijutsu fight. It would be impressive if he didn't look like he was suffocating or had ran rounds around the village for about a dozen times.

"His problem," said Kakashi, sounding only mildly interested, "is that he can't render his chakra harmless like one might need to do to perform medical ninjutsu. Wait... is he actually releasing his chakra? No... no... he's actively disconnecting his mental energy from the physical energy to stop chakra? What is wrong with this kid?" He sounded awed, which annoyed Asuma.

"What's wrong?" Asuma asked.

"He can block his mental energy whenever he wants?"

"I doubt he knows he can do that," said Asuma mildly. "I think he doesn't even know that there's something wrong with his chakra." Frowning, Asuma wondered if psychopathy effected Miyo's mental energy that came from the mind (which was fucked up).

Just as some (rare cases, Asuma had never met one himself because their village actively discouraged such kids from joining and Danzo handled those kids) ninja-trained psychopaths could shut down their emotions entirely, they probably could shut down their mental energy and stop producing chakra. Asuma had never encountered such a case because there would be no ninja in existence that would want to stop using chakra.

But Miyo had claimed that chakra discomfited him. He was aware, on some level. Miyo felt strained because he was actively holding back his cutting chakra from slicing Lee into Lee-sashimi. But when he wasn't sparring someone friendly, his chakra was let loose to ooze out of his body like a leaking faucet.

Asuma was starting to see how dim Miyo's future as a ninja was.

"Okay, stop," said Asuma, calling for a time-out. Lee looked barely winded, covered only in a thin sheen of sweat while Miyo was his complete opposite.

"Need to..." he wheezed, clutching his chest. "Need a moment, please."

Asuma got right down to business. "Miyo, let it loose."

Miyo looked baffled. "Loose what?" Then realization dawned. "But Lee would be skewered!"

Asuma considered that. "You do touch your brother and items, right?"

"Yes. What does that have to do with letting loose?"

"Are there any damages when you touch them?"

"No..."

"Then why is it so hard to use chakra and not kill Lee in the same breath?" asked Asuma.

"My chakra bends to my intent," said Miyo slowly, carefully; his words came like a series of blocks being removed one by one. Evidently, he only contemplated that now. "Whenever I get into street-fights or spars, something in me automatically seizes up and I find myself holding back. If you give me an enemy-nin, someone who truly wishes me lethal harm, I can let loose and..." he trailed off.

"What about objects?"

"I guess my chakra flows into them instead of destroying them so if I throw an eraser, it's bound to embed itself in the wall, I think. I've never tried it." A frown tugged his lips downward. "At least my chakra keeps me cool on warm days." Miyo flinched away when Kakashi reached down to touch him. He eyed Kakashi suspiciously. "What're you doing?" he demanded rudely, but he didn't seem to dislike Kakashi enough to lash out. Asuma was sure it was taking all of Miyo's willpower to direct his chakra away from where Kakashi stood.

Kakashi pressed his fingers to Miyo's cheeks, the latter who stood stiffly and wary. "She's right, this kid is as cold as an ice-cube. Her sweat's already evaporated." He'd covered up his Sharingan eye, withdrawing his hand from Miyo's face; Asuma could see the tiny drop of blood that Kakashi wiped on his flak jacket. "And I can actually feel a breeze."

"I'm a 'he'," said Miyo helpfully.

"So, you're like a fan?"

Miyo glared. "Excuse me?"

**:: :: ::**

I couldn't believe Asuma waltzed into the clearing without any greeting or apology and proceeded to hold a Q&A session with me as an unwilling participant and with Lee as a background crop. Sometime during the third question, Lee had gone back to going through with his kata's.

I recognized Kakashi but I tried to pretend I've never seen him and instead, concentrated on Asuma. Still, I was pissed when Kakashi so offhandedly referred me to an object.

Asuma intervened before Kakashi could say anything. "I think you should use chakra in spars, trust me, you will have an easier time."

"But Lee—"

"You can spar with me," Asuma said, his eyes flickered with a minute's guilt before disappearing.

"So I should ditch Lee now that I have something better?"

"I see your point, that is not a good attitude at all." A ghost of a smile flitted across Asuma's face as he considered this. "Hm... Kakashi, why don't you tell Gai that there's someone in need of his youthful guidance?"

Kakashi and Asuma exchanged a glance. Kakashi looked extremely reluctant. "My cousin is in Tea Country now," said Asuma after a moment's of eye-contact.

Kakashi shrugged. "Fine with me. Oi, Eyebrows, over here! I've got someone who wants to meet you."

I watched bemusedly as Kakashi led an exuberant Lee away, the latter pelting Kakashi minutely with questions and I could only assume the former was ignoring the child. Asuma cleared his throat, a little awkwardly. I stared at him, refusing to let any emotion through; this was good, I like unnerving him.

"Er, as I was saying," continued Asuma, trying to regain the flow of conversation, "you have to let your physical and spiritual energy mix together, form chakra when you're in taijutsu battles."

"I'm sure I'll be able to do so when I'm in real battle—"

"What if it isn't so?"

I fell silent, knowing that he'd gotten me.

"Come at me," said Asuma quietly. "I know you have a lot of anger to vent on me about, y'know..."

Now that he mentioned it... I glared at him, cracking my knuckles. Even if the fight would be completely one-sided, there's no way I wasn't going to try. I launched myself at him, letting the fury pour all over me. Miyo hated being abandoned, when Itachi would stand and leave, Miyo would scream and generally go crazy.

My chakra bent to my intent, doesn't it?

Wind roared in my ears as I swung my fist.

My grin didn't falter.

**:: :: ::**

Sasuke and I tripped over the next four years in the Academy—not literally of course, it was just an expression. That's not to say the four years were quiet and wholly uneventful. The third month Asuma had "returned", I had decided I wanted Sasuke to join our training sessions.

"No," Asuma'd said.

I brought Sasuke anyway, glaring defiantly at Asuma.

He didn't leave, he stayed and was forced to help Sasuke improve anyway.

Sasuke and I had a row about it later that night. Apparently, I was selfish for keeping the fact that I have a mentor tutoring me all along, disregarding the fact that eventually, I decided to share Asuma. Man, he really was drawing on my ire. My hot-temper had never really been cured by Asuma's long talks about the virtue of patience. The patience of virtue. Whatever, I didn't pay much attention and only nodded when it seems appropriate to nod and hum and agreement.

The next day, I skipped school even though I had packed my schoolbooks. I suppose I'd go next week (it was Friday).

I went to Asuma's apartment to complain. Fortunately for my sanity, he was there. Ever since he came into our lives, Asuma made it a compulsory to attend school. A few months back where I would skip for a week or two straight, I now attended classes three times a week.

Asuma'd sighed when he found out, "I guess you can't have everything."

Now, he said, "What's wrong now?" His tone was one he used whenever there's a SWM situation—that's the abbreviation of Something With Miyo and obviously, there's a lot of SWM situations.

"I argued with Sasuke, he called me selfish and I said he was an idiot and he told me I was—"

"So you insulted one another," concluded Asuma, "which turned into a full-out fight?"

"He was jealous I might get stronger than him."

"That's expected of an older sibling," said Asuma wisely, as if he had personal experience, "since they're older, they obviously expect to be stronger and wiser than the younger sibling. Wouldn't you feel insulted if a younger kid's smarter or stronger than you?"

I stuck my nose in air, arms crossed over my chest. "Hn." That's a yes but I was trying to not be petty here.

Asuma knew what I meant anyway. He snuffed his cigarette out; I could tolerate many of his habits and quirks but smoking was not one of them. I had made myself clear and had snapped his cigarette and stomped it out whenever I see him with one. So he took careful measures to smoke somewhere far from me.

I stopped him from smoking because I actually liked him and would hate it if he were to die so young because of lung cancer or something. Was there cancer in this world? I never really bothered checking. The people around me could smoke, I wouldn't mind—for example—if Suzune's lungs collapsed. My only request was for her to turn away from me when she kicked the bucket because I doubt it would be pretty.

"If your brother is unwilling to budge and smother his temper, then you must be the bigger man and do so."

I stared sulkily at him, not needing to phrase what I was thinking into words. Asuma wouldn't be flattered with what I had to say to him for that useless suggestion right now.

"You are also hot-tempered, you just need to put a lid on it and once you give in, arguments could be evaded. Kurenai told me that smiling would work, if you keep smiling, the anger would ebb away... yeah, just like that... it's insincere though, doesn't quite reach your eyes and it looks forced, why— oh, wait, you're pissed at me, aren't you?"

"That," I hissed through gritted teeth, hideously forced grin still on my face, "is the most useless thing you've ever said to me."

Asuma grinned right back, ruffling my messy hair. "Just try. You can do it, can't you? Or you can't?"

Asuma knows exactly how to manipulate me—but that was only because I allowed him to, I knew better since I was mentally almost as old as he was and that was saying something about my knowledge. I was prideful and absolutely refuse to admit defeat. While Lee was determined, I was proud—it didn't matter, in the end, we were both still very persistent in proving others wrong.

I can always enjoy a good challenge.

"Of course I can." I snorted.

If anything, smiling like that with my fists balled so tightly my fingernails cut into my palms, it freaked Sasuke out and he would edge away inch by inch. I knew a losing battle when I saw one, Sasuke was even more stubborn and prideful than me and that's saying a lot.

My only comfort was that, once I apologized, Sasuke would too.

We were not the closest pair of brothers around but we still cared about the other. We made do in the years that stood to challenge us.

I can take challenges with a jovial grin.

The peaceful, uneventful years rolled by, beneath our feet, like carpet being unfurled but like carpets that have ends, peaceful days have their ends too. And we were reaching it.

**:: :: ::**

Sasuke had just left for his Graduation test; I didn't wish him luck, just told him to let me wear his forehead protector for awhile when he got back.

He just smirk his little smirk that he reserved for me to tell me he was pleased by my confidence in him. (He didn't think it weird I was staying back even though it was a schooling day, both he and Asuma had came to accept the fact that I would go to school whenever I want and skip it whenever I want.)

"If you take me as your apprentice, does that mean I'll have to share you with the Genin kids? Can I go on missions even if I'm still in the Academy?" I griped to Asuma who sighed heavily, grabbed me by the shoulders and steered me into the dango shop, said that he was helping his friend pick up their order and while we're at it, we could stay and eat.

The waitress eyed me curiously. She knew I was an Uchiha, from my clan's emblem on the back of my shirt, but it was a Tuesday and I was supposed to be in school.

It was a minor detail that the villagers had gotten used to by now: Uchiha Miyo skips school like he skips a skipping rope. I didn't know how such a comparison can be made as I had never skipped in front of them before but never mind, I don't bother with minor details.

"Remember anything?"

I was chewing a dango when Asuma posted his question. These days, Asuma had decided it would not do much harm if I were to remember my old memories. I said I didn't care but Asuma had, sympathetically said, "Don't you want to remember the days where you have parents?"

Honestly, I couldn't care anymore. I would miss my old parents and dream about them but I didn't give two-shits about Mikoto and Fugaku or anyone else in the clan for the matter. I barely even _thought_ of Itachi. Technically, I could go to the Yamanaka's to have my memory restored and even Asuma suggested this but Sasuke shot it down and I agreed with him, claiming that it was invading my privacy. I didn't want them to find out things they shouldn't know and Sasuke didn't want the old Miyo to come back and as my guardian, he was entitled to have all say.

"Why the sudden question?" I wondered, glancing around but could not spot anything that'd spark my memory. "Have I been here before?"

"We've met," explained Asuma, "when you're about two or three, Itachi was giving you a piggyback ride and you were munching on his hair instead of the dango he was trying to give you. It'd be sort of cute if you weren't glaring at everyone. Wanna see? I can construct a genjutsu strong enough to—"

"No!" I yelled, completely humiliated.

Apparently, Miyo had been nutty even when he wasn't being a bully or violent. Asuma revealed that during one of the Kyubi festival celebration, Miyo burst into a song in a kind of made-up language when everyone was suppose to be praying and mourning the loss the village had suffered on the day October 13th.

On another occasion, he decided to camp out in school and was simply impossible to be moved (it ended with the whole family camping out there for one whole night, around a campfire in the school grounds, much to everyone's chagrin). And Miyo gave everyone Valentine's Day Card when it was _Halloween _and decided to dress up in costume on White's Day. See? Freaking crazy.

I guess Miyo thought being abnormal was funny. Well, he was a kid and I guess he must've had a sense of humor hidden beneath all the psychopathy and violence...

Or I could be using the word psychopath too lightly. Maybe he was not, maybe he was just... weird and has violent mood-swings. Or that's a sweeter way to put it.

(I like to think Miyo was just an insecure kid out for attention but I can say it's just a delusion.)

"Anyway," I said, breaking off from my reverie, "you have yet to answer my question."

"I'm not sure," said Asuma uncertainly, "but most likely not. You haven't graduated and I simply cannot take you out of the village for a mission. And when my team's assigned to me, I'd have very little time to train you."

I pressed my tongue to the side of my inner cheek, I found that this was one of Miyo's quirks when he was annoyed or when he was thinking deeply, along with kicking the closest chair. Frowning, I kicked the old lady's chair.

Hag didn't say a word—until I kicked so hard she nearly toppled off.

**:: :: ::**

I was in a very sulky mood for the rest of the evening. Asuma said I was allowed to kick people's chair and distort my face all I like to show how moody I was as long as I don't punch someone (or hurt myself by punching a tree). I only need to smile like an idiot when I'm pissed off and close to committing murder.

That evening, however, Sasuke proved how much of a responsible big brother he could be by sitting me down and asking me what was wrong.

"I want to be a Genin this year!" I exploded, kicking the chair so hard it crashed sideways—it was to the carpenter's credit that it didn't snap, I guess the Uchiha can afford the best. Sasuke who also knew of Miyo's habit—or temper—had wisely taken the seat on the opposite of me so he didn't suffer any backlash. He barely bat an eyelash at how loud I was being.

In case you didn't know, the Hokage didn't give me the permission to advance to my brother's class. I was only a year behind Sasuke and knowing how close I was to graduating had me howling in misery at being put out of the main game by the age difference. _Fuck, Itachi graduated when he was five_, I griped, but the Headmaster wouldn't hear a word of it.

There were of course times that I was glad. Who the fuck wants to go against Otsutsuki Kaguya and her army of undead? Still, I can't remain an Academy student forever. I want experience. As good as you are, experience counts too. I've never been in a real battle and I was anxious to test myself.

Asuma still beat me in spars and I haven't seen Lee in a long time ever since he graduated last year and neither of us had made efforts to keep in contact. Just so you know, the village was fucking huge so looking for him or hoping to bump into him randomly was impossible unless I was being deliberate.

Sensing him was impossible. I wasn't a Chakra-sensor. After Asuma had forced me to 'let loose', I was slowly losing my sensitivity to chakra that always is useful when it comes to detecting others. Yes, I can still turn my mental energy off and not use chakra but I did so rarely, I only do so to make sure I can do something most _can't_ do.

Asuma still assisted Sasuke and I when it came to learning Fire techniques since it was his second affinity. Asuma had bought us those chakra-testing papers, made of special wood. My natural affinity was wind and fire; Sasuke's was lightning and fire. So it made things easier for Asuma to teach us both.

I was a tad gleeful to see my fireball was larger than Sasuke's but that's to be expected, I enhanced the fire with my wind. Not that he needs to know that. His disgruntled expression was a little cute if he wasn't sniping me the next second.

I'd grin at him.

But now, I wasn't in the mood to grin. I was in the mood to tear someone to shreds.

"Calm down," said Sasuke, his voice soft; his eyes had that distant, quizzical sort of look. He'd told me once when Miyo was this pissed, he would be breaking things, make Itachi and Sasuke's lives as miserable as possible in that moment or cry to their mother and let the woman sort things out (with the political power the Uchiha name carries). However, Mikoto was no longer here to pull rank.

I scowled. The only time I need her and she wasn't here. Talk about useful.

"It's just for another twelve months," added Sasuke, as if months would be nicer to hear than a year. It wasn't.

Still, I was grateful he at least tried to be a good brother.

It made smile at him, as small as it was. We weren't the type to express our feelings to one another with words, it was with actions and I'm positive this smile conveyed what I was feeling.

It was dark in the kitchen, Sasuke having woken up to get a drink and had sat down with me and he saw me still brooding over my missed opportunity to be a Genin, but I thought he returned my small smile with a brief smile of his own.

**:: :: ::**

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Status: Un-beta'ed

Update: 29/7/2014

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